Artists 4 Interiors

Paintings on canvas up to 190cm on their longest side may be shipped in a heavy duty mailing tube between 20cm and 30cm diameter, depending on the size of the canvas. Make absolutely certain that your painting is completely dry before attempting to roll it.

What you'll need:

- Glassine paper or acidfree archival tissue paper.
- Heavy duty mailing tube with plastic end caps no smaller than 20cm in diameter and up to 30cm (depending on the size of the canvas).
- A second tube of smaller diameter for inner support. (You’ll roll the artwork around this tube and insert it inside the larger tube).
- Packing tape.
- Bubble wrap.

Step 1: Sandwich your canvas between two layers of acid free archival paper. Make sure that the canvas is completely covered by the paper.

Step 2: Roll the paper-covered artwork—paint side outward—around the smaller tube to provide inner support. DO NOT roll too tightly as this can damage the painting.

Step 3: Next, roll a layer of bubble wrap around the artwork for padding and to seal out moisture. Seal completely with tape.

Step 4: Place this tube within the outer mailing tube. Fill extra space at the ends with extra bubble wrap, but take care not to crush the edges of your painting. Place the end caps on and seal them shut with packing tape.

Step 5: Affix the shipping label to the package and put clear tape over the label so it doesn’t get removed during shipment. Clearly mark the tube as FRAGILE.

What you'll need:

- Glassine paper or acidfree archival tissue paper.
- Plastic sheeting, poly wrap, or heavy plastic bag.
- Foam board at least 1cm thick or two-ply cardboard.
- Cardboard corner protectors.
- Cardboard box.
- Packing tape.
- Bubble wrap.

Step 1: Wrap the painting in glassine paper or acid-free, archival tissue paper. Note that any material that comes into contact with the surface of the work should be archival quality. We advise that you avoid touching the painting’s surface with bare hands by wearing white cotton gloves or placing acid-free tissue paper between the work and your fingers when handling.

Step 2: Take four (4) 20cm x 20cm square pieces of glassine paper or acid-free tissue paper (you may adjust the size of the squares to better fit the size of your work) and fold each in half diagonally to create a triangle, then fold in half again to create a triangle pocket. Place one pocket onto each corner of the painting.

Step 3: Taping only onto the tissue paper corners, tape the wrapped painting to a sheet of foam board (or two-ply cardboard) the same size or slightly larger than the painting for a firm backing.

Step 4: To protect against moisture, wrap the glassine-covered artwork with plastic sheeting/poly wrap or put it inside a heavy plastic bag. Use tape to seal all areas where water can enter and cause damage.

Step 5: Wrap the entire work with two (2) layers of bubble wrap for a protective padding. Wrap it as you would a gift, using tape to secure it shut.

Step 6: Place cardboard corner protectors on the corners of the wrapped artwork.

Step 7: Place the wrapped artwork between 2 pieces of foam board that are at least 1cm thickness (or two-ply cardboard), forming a “sandwich.” Also, the borders of the foam board sheets should extend 5cm - 8cm beyond all edges of the bubble-wrapped artwork. Use packing tape to bind the foam board sandwich together. Be certain the sides are taped down firmly to ensure that the artwork doesn’t shift around within.

IMPORTANT: Take care not to apply too much pressure to the surface of your artwork. Doing so could create indentations on the stretched canvas.

Step 8: Place the foam board-covered painting into a cardboard box with approximately 8cm - 10cm of space on all sides. Fill the empty space with enough bubble wrap or wadded/ shredded white paper to ensure that the artwork doesn’t shift during transit.

Step 9: Use the H-taping method to seal the box. The H-taping method involves using long strips of packing tape to completely seal the opening flaps of the box. Use one long strip of tape over the horizontal opening between the two flaps, and two strips over the vertical sides of the flaps—forming an “H.” Apply additional vertical strips of tape as needed across the sealed flaps for added reinforcement. Illustrations of this method are provided by different sources online. Just type “H-taping method” into the Google search box.

Step 10: Affix the shipping label to the package and put clear tape over the label so it doesn’t get removed during shipment. Using a felt tip pen, write FRAGILE in large capital letters on the box, or use ready-made FRAGILE labels.

All framed or stretched artworks that are 120cm or above on any one side need to be packaged into a wood crate.

What you'll need:

- Glassine paper or acidfree archival tissue paper.
- Plastic sheeting, poly wrap, or heavy plastic bag.
- Foam board at least 1cm thick or two-ply cardboard.
- Cardboard corner protectors.
- Cardboard box.
- Packing tape.
- Bubble wrap.
- Custom-made wooden crate.

Step 1: Wrap the painting in glassine paper or acid-free, archival tissue paper. Note that any material that comes into contact with the surface of the work should be archival quality. We advise that you avoid touching the painting’s surface with bare hands by wearing white cotton gloves or placing acid-free tissue paper between the work and your fingers when handling.

Step 2: Take four (4) 20cm x 20cm square pieces of glassine paper or acid-free tissue paper (you may adjust the size of the squares to better fit the size of your work) and fold each in half diagonally to create a triangle, then fold in half again to create a triangle pocket. Place one pocket onto each corner of the painting.

Step 3: Taping only onto the tissue paper corners, tape the wrapped painting to a sheet of foam board (or two-ply cardboard) the same size or slightly larger than the painting for a firm backing.

Step 4: To protect against moisture, wrap the glassine-covered artwork with plastic sheeting/poly wrap or put it inside a heavy plastic bag. Use tape to seal all areas where water can enter and cause damage.

Step 5: Wrap the entire work with at least three (3) layers of bubble wrap for a protective padding. Use more if you believe your painting requires more protection (e.g. it has a raised surface). Wrap it as you would a gift, using tape to secure it shut.

Step 6: Next, build a wooden crate and seal the work inside. To do so, follow all the steps given under How do I pack work in a crate? below.

What you'll need:

- Glassine paper or acidfree archival tissue paper.
- Plastic sheeting, poly wrap, or heavy plastic bag.
- Painters tape (if packing a glass frame).
- Foam board at least 1cm thick or two-ply cardboard.
- Cardboard corner protectors.
- Packing tape.
- Bubble wrap.
- Shredded or wadded white paper.
- Very sturdy cardboard box if framed artwork is under 50cm x 70cm.
- Custom wooden crate if framed artwork is larger than 50cm x 70cm.

Step 1: Use a sturdy cardboard box or build a custom crate that will fit the framed painting plus approximately 8cm - 10cm inches of space on all sides. (This extra space will accommodate the layers of bubble wrap to be added).

Step 2: If the frame has a protective glass or acrylic pane, remove it from the frame. If it does not, skip to step 4. Apply two pieces of painters tape diagonally across the glass/acrylic pane to form a large “X”. Should the glass break during shipment, the tape will help keep the broken pieces together.

Step 3: Sandwich the glass/ acrylic pane between two sheets of foam board approximately 5cm larger than the glass on all sides. Firmly seal the foam board sandwich all around with packing tape, making sure that the glass/ acrylic panel does not shift around within.

Step 4: Wrap the painting in acid-free, archival tissue paper or glassine. Note that any material that will come into contact with the surface of the painted work should be archival quality.

Step 5: To protect against moisture, wrap the artwork with plastic sheeting or poly wrap.

Step 6: Add cardboard corner protectors to the corners of the wrapped work. You can buy corner protectors ready made, or you can construct them yourself. Several online resources offer instructions on how to make them.

Step 7: Wrap the framed painting in three (3) layers of bubble wrap, using packing tape to secure it.

IMPORTANT: If your framed painting is larger than 50cm x 70cm, you’ll need to build a wooden crate and seal the work inside. To do so, follow all the steps given under How do I pack work in a crate? below.

If your framed painting is under 50cm x 70cm, proceed to Step 8 below.

Step 8: Sandwich the wrapped painting within two sheets of foam board and tape all the way around to secure it.

Step 9: Place it inside a sturdy cardboard box. To minimize movement within the box, thoroughly fill any empty areas around the artwork with shredded paper. The more snug the fit, the less the potential for damage. Seal the box thoroughly with packing tape, reinforcing the corners.

Step 10: Affix the shipping label to the package and put clear tape over the label so it doesn’t get removed during shipment. Using a felt tip pen, write FRAGILE in large capital letters on the box, or use ready-made FRAGILE labels.

What you'll need:

- Four (4) planks of plywood (0.5cm to 1cm thick depending on size and fragility of the work) for the frame.
- Two (2) plywood sheets for the front and back panels.
- Drill.
- Saw.
- 35mm wood screws.
- Wood glue.
- Foam board, 1cm thick.

Step 1: Measure your pre-wrapped artwork (wrapped according to the instructions given for your particular work), taking down the height, width, and depth of the wrapped piece. If you’re shipping a painting, use these measurements to calculate the dimensions of your plywood pieces for the frame of your crate. Keep in mind that you will add a 1cm foam board lining to your crate, so accommodate for this. The extra space will be filled with bubble wrap and shredded paper.

Step 2: Cut four pieces of plywood according to the dimensions you took in step 1 in order to build a frame with an opening that can snugly fit your wrapped work. Remember to account for the thickness of the plywood when measuring length and height, and cut accordingly. The top piece of the frame should sit on and extend over the top edges of the side pieces, as it must be easily removable. This piece will act as the crate’s lid, to be unscrewed by the receiver.

Step 3: Begin building the frame by assembling three (3) of the plywood strips together with screws and wood glue, leaving the top piece (i.e. lid) off for now. It will be screwed on after the artwork has been placed inside.

Step 4: Line the frame with strips of foam board, securing them on with tape or glue. If using glue to line the crate with foam board, wait for it to dry before finishing the packing process.

Step 5: Cut two sheets of plywood to the same dimensions of the assembled frame. These will be the front and back panels of your crate.

Step 6: Secure one sheet to the back of the frame using wood glue and screws.

Step 7: You will then complete the packaging process by placing your artwork inside and sealing the crate around it. Lay a piece of foam board (the same size as the frame) inside the open crate, and place your pre-wrapped artwork on top. There should be no room for movement inside.

Step 8: Cover your artwork with another layer of foam board. Place the other sheet of Masonite board on top of the frame, securing well with wood glue and screws. Do your best to ensure that the crate is air and moisture tight.

Step 9: Clearly indicate which panel is the removable lid by writing UNSCREW THIS SIDE ONLY so the receiver knows which panel to remove. If needed, write any instructions (using a black felt tip pen) on the crate that will help the receiver easily remove the lid.

Step 10: Affix the shipping label to the outside and put clear tape over the label so it doesn’t get removed during shipment. Clearly mark the crate or box as FRAGILE.

TIP: For ease of transport, you can screw a cabinet handle to the top of the crate. The screws should be long enough so that the handle doesn’t come loose while someone is carrying the crate, but not so long that they protrude into the interior of the crate.