How do you ship big paintings?

Please include the size of art you’re shipping, and where you get the materials for shipping.

I’ve had GREAT luck with EZArtShippers. They come in 4 sizes (small, medium, large & XL). You can ship anything from 12"x16" to 31"x42". I get them from Jerry’s Artorama.

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I’m eyeing boxes like EZart shippers, but right now, for pieces over about 16x20 inches, I make my own boxes by recycling cardboard and packing materials. Smaller items, I’ve got padded envelopes that work.

Thanks for posting this. I was thinking about it just today, wondering what to do about bigger sizes, so this came along at just the right time.

U-Haul has wonderful boxes that are meant for art and mirrors. You can also buy a styrofoam corners kit. I’ve shipped as large as 40 x 32" successfully with them. I like that I can buy one or two as needed, not having to buy online and store.

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I am looking for shipping supplies for larger works on paper, so I really don’t need those great looking boxes. With my smaller works, I ship them matted and in bubble mailers or priorty mailers from the usps. But I have a couple of larger works that when matted will be 16 x 20 inches. I haven’t been able to locate mailers that large unless I buy a case of 100. I could just ship them without mats, but that may mess up my karma :smile: Would making my own package work for the postal service? Anyone have a source for larger mailing envelopes that are available in smaller quantities?

Most of my sales are small, 8x10 or smaller and usually done on panels. I ship them in flat rate Priority Mail padded envelopes. These are great because the post office will deliver them and a lot of other mailing boxes and supplies right to your door for free.

First thing I do is wrap the painting in glassine paper to protect the surface of the painting. Then I sandwich the painting between two 9x12 cardboard pads. These pads will fit nicely into the envelope and they can be purchased on Ebay quite cheaply. Then I just drop the envelope off at the post office.

Larger paintings than that get wrapped in brown craft paper, then wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in a box that allows for at least one inch of free space all the way around the painting, which is filled with newspaper. Those boxes I will buy from websites like Uline.com.

I’ve never had one complaint about a damaged painting that I’ve sent out.