A piece of art requires efforts that can’t be quantitatively measured. It flows out of the mind of an artist, percolates through their arms and onto the canvas. It is extremely difficult to replicate a particular piece of art once it is finished. Partially because it is not an easy job to navigate back to the frame of mind that the artist was in when he created art. It would be a great injustice for a complex creation that requires sheer creativity to be irreversibly damaged due to negligence, but this is a plausible fate for art when it’s shipped.

When shipping art, you need to be aware of how to pack it properly without neglecting minor details if you want your art to be received just as it was when you packed it. The safety of your art in transit is crucial and if you’re an artist or a collector, you already know that. It doesn’t matter how good the art is if it arrives damaged. This blog aims to provide an economical, cost-effective way of shipping art. You don’t want the transportation cost to nullify the cost of the art itself. Here are some tips for wrapping your paintings so that they reach their destination in its same pristine state.

1. Primary wrapping

When wrapping your art piece, choosing the material for the first layer that the artwork comes into contact with should be assessed for factors such as moisture and humidity. If you’re shipping to a place where there are moisture and humidity, it is best that you use glassine since it is resistant to water, air, and grease. Place the painting face down onto the grassine and wrap it around the edges but not too tight. Only use artist tape to stick the glassine around the back edges of the painting. Leaving an overhanging nub of artist tape at the edge will make the unwrapping safer and easier for the recipient. If you want your artwork to breathe, use foam wrap.

2. Be generous with bubble wrap

Bubble wrap is a cost-effective, and fun to play with material to wrap your delicate artwork in. It can resist a lot of mechanical pressure while keeping your painting completely protected. The air trapped in the bubble wrap can also insulate your artwork against extreme temperatures. However, only wrap the painting with bubble wrap as a secondary layer. If the bubble wrap is used to directly wrap the painting, it might leave impressions on it. Place your grassine wrapped or foam wrapped painting face down on a laid out sheet of bubble wrap and fasten it with some tape around the seams. It is always a good practice to wrap the painting with multiple layers of bubble wrap.

3. Place the painting in the box and seal it secure

Choose a box that has a clearance space of at least 5cm from the painting to accommodate the bubble wrapping, but doesn’t leave extra space because most artworks in transit are damages due to extra space in the box. The box might get slid around so you need to secure all the edges with a good quality packing tape. To check whether your artwork is secured firmly in place, shake the box to detect movement. If there is movement, its best to add additional layers of bubble wrap.