Pak Mail Santa Fe

The Best Packing, Shipping and Freighting Provider in Santa Fe

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Pak Mail Art Shipping

Discover the Best Art Shipping Services in New Mexico!

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Moving to a new home is an experience everyone has to go through at some point in life.

Moving to a new living accommodation is never easy. It will probably happen after causing some hassle. Everything you own has to get boxed up and go.

But what would you do with the piece of art you’ve got locked up in the basement?

You have to move it without causing damage to it! This is the biggest dilemma art owners, auction houses and art galleries in New Mexico face frequently.

New Mexico is a hub for art lovers. The variety of art markets here is equivalent to none other.

Pakmail has been providing folks from New Mexico the best art shipping services in Santa Fe since 1995!

Let’s take a look at the services we provide for shipping your invaluable possessions!

Exclusive Services for Big and Small Businesses

Our expert movers know exactly which boxes are needed for which piece of art. We have served several galleries, museums, artists, retail stores and auction houses over the years. For shipping fine art items, we regularly update our packaging material and methods. Our services are user-friendly, effective and quite efficient.

Custom-Made Shipping Crates

The reason our services have left a prominent mark in New Mexico is because we give attention to, and truly care about the details. We make our shipping crates in-house, which puts us directly in control of the quality hugging your art as it’s in route.

The custom crates are designed to hold any and all kinds of art works. If you are transporting delicate paintings or bronzes, our custom crates are made especially for you!

Salient Features of the Packaging of Artwork   

We use the following three types of packaging for artwork.

1. Art Box with Peanuts

This is made with glassine or glass mask. Your artwork is wrapped in a bubble wrap, placed in a cardboard sandwich, then into the art box it goes.

2. Custom Art Box

It is also made with glassine or glass mask. Your piece is placed inside a double wall to fit the frame size. It has foam inserts instead of peanuts. It also has a puncture resistant liner.

3. Custom Crates

It also uses foam inserts in place of peanuts. The glassine or glass mask in custom crates is lined with bead board.

Salient Features of the Packaging of Bronzes

We provide the following three types of packaging options for bronzes.

1.The Double Box

In this type of packaging, bronze items are wrapped in foam and floated in peanuts. It has an inner and an outer box.

2. The Custom Double Box

In custom double boxes, there are no floating peanuts. Instead a bead board is inserted. In addition, a double wall system is created for the inner and outer box.

3. Custom Crates for Extra Delicate Items

These boxes are made with foam inserts instead of peanuts. They include braces to support the bronzes inside the crates. We ensure the package goes through minimal movement during transit to keep it from any sort of damage.

PakMail Exclusivity

We are exclusive shippers for the following:

  • Santa Fe SWAIA Indian Market
  • Santa Fe SWAIA Spanish Market
  • Altermann and Allard Auction
  • Altermann and Mountain Trails Galleries

Our first priority is to keep your expensive artwork and other possessions safe during transit!

Visit our website to get a quote for our services and move with ease!

The How’s of Shipping Art and Other Valuables

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Shipping a piece of art, especially paintings are not that hard of a job. Say, you are trying to import a painting to the UK that needs to be displayed at a gallery. If the painting is sold, you receive your share of the sales and the gallery takes their cut. However, if the painting is not sold, it is either shipped back to you or to another country.

In most cases, there are no custom charges but there is a small amount of VAT involved. For paintings that are antiques, original pieces of work and more than 100 years old, 5% VAT is charged on them. However, if the painting is an imitation, it is subjected to 20% VAT charge. With that being said, let’s focus on how the art should be shipped. Following is a step by step process that will help you in packing your painting:

Things You Will Need

  • Glassine paper
  • Poly wrap
  • Bubble wrap
  • Two-ply cardboard
  • Packing tape
  • Artist tape
  • Pair of scissors
  • Knife
  • Cardboard box
  • Packing peanuts (optional)

Packing Step-by-Step

  1. Spread glassine paper on a work surface and place the painting face down on it (the glassine paper protects the surface of the painting and prevents it from getting scratched)
  2. Fold the corners and tape them with artist tape (artist tape is acid-free and therefore, can be removed easily during unpacking. Still, make sure that the tape is attached to the frame and not the painting)
  3. Fashion small triangle pockets from the glassine paper and slips them on to the corners
  4. Using poly wrap, cover the painting twice and secure the sides and corners with packing tape
  5. Take the two-ply cardboard and place the painting on it
  6. Cut around the edges, leaving at least 2 inches of space
  7. Using another two-ply cardboard, fashion a customized box by pinching the sides or folding them
  8. Secure the corners and sides with packing tape
  9. Bubble wrap this cardboard box and secure it with packing tape
  10. Slide this wrapped package into the cardboard box (the cardboard box in question here must be bought in advance from a store. It should be slightly bigger in length and larger in breadth so that the wrapped package can slide in easily)
  11. Tape the box from top to bottom to prevent it from sliding out
  12. Label the cardboard box “Handle with Care”

Note: If you feel that there’s space in the card box that might not keep the painting steady, then pack them with packing peanuts.

Packing artwork is very easy… that is if you have the right tools. The glassine paper used here in the first step of the packing process is the most important packaging material. Without it, the surface of the painting would be destroyed.

The final step is to get insurance for your package in case it gets damaged in transit.

The package is now good to go.

Shipping Bronze Sculptures – Here’s how it’s done

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Shipping bronze sculptures that are of extreme value can be very difficult. The first thing that you need to take care of is insurance. You have got the choice between basic limited liability and full value protection.

The former is known as the standard form of insurance. The insurance of the item is calculated according to per pound of the sculpture’s weight and does not cover its full value. The latter option comes at a price. The sculpture is appraised and its exact value is written in the contract. This insurance type has a high premium because in case it gets damaged or lost, the owner either gets the money for repairs or replacement or is compensated in cash

How to Pack a Bronze Sculpture for Shipping

Now that we have covered the most important step, let’s move on and discuss how to pack the bronze sculpture safely:

Depending on how heavy and big the sculpture is you can either pack it in a wooden crate or a cardboard box. While the former is a much better option, it is expensive too. Let’s have a look at how to pack it in a cardboard box:

Inner Packaging

  • Pick out a cardboard box that is a tight fit for the sculpture
  • Wrap the sculpture in bubble wrap and secure all open areas with heavy duty tape
  • Cover the bubble wrapped sculpture in a blanket
  • Place a wood plank at the bottom of the box (this will prevent the corners from bending and damaging the sharp ends of the sculpture)
  • Fill plastic bags with packing peanuts and place it at the bottom of the box (the plastic bags will keep the packing peanuts from creating a mess)
  • Place the plastic bags on every sharp edge to create a cushion
  • Slide the sculpture inside the box and make sure it’s a snug fit

Outer Packaging

To protect the sculpture from getting cracked, create an outer layer of packaging.

  • Find a slightly bigger box than the one you just packed
  • Slide in the packed box in the second box and fit packing peanut plastic bags on the sides
  • Throw in a few packets of calcium chloride (drying agent) to prevent the sculpture from getting damaged due to water
  • Secure the box with a heavy duty tape
  • Stick a paper on the box and indicate with arrows how it should be carried

Note: If you’re using a wooden crate for packaging, use stainless steel bolts instead of nails to close the crate. This will prevent the rust from seeping into the crate, in case water is splashed on it.

Since most heavy packages are shipped by sea, it is better to take a few precautions such as packets of drying agent and securing the box with another box. It might be a lot of work but it will give you the assurance that your sculpture will arrive safely and unharmed at your destination.

Shipping Art Successfully – Here’s how it’s done

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Shipping art such as paintings is equally difficult as shipping delicate antique items. Say, your paintings have been finally accepted to be showcased in an art gallery but the exhibition is in Paris. You now need to pack your paintings individually, so that they don’t rub against each other and get damaged.

As a struggling artist, it can be hard to bear the cost of packaging. The cost of shipping any kind of artwork depends on its weight, which means you cannot wrap the painting in layers of wraps and boxes or you will be paying extra.

Depending on how you want the art delivered, there are two types of packaging you can do: One for shipping art that is ‘ready to hang’ and the other where you remove the stretcher bars and roll the painting into a tube.

Shipping ‘Ready to Hang’ Art

Paintings that are ready to hang and have glass over them must be double wrapped to protect the glass from breaking. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Customize a cardboard sheet into a wrapped box according to the size of the painting
  • Place the painting on the sheet and use a cutter to make light cuts along the edges of the painting
  • Wrap the painting in plastic and secure the ends at the back
  • To protect the glass, use masking tape that is specially made for holding the painting’s glass together in case of an accidental breakage (if the glass breaks, the shards will stick to the tape and prevent the painting from getting scratched)
  • Place the painting on the sheet and mold the cardboard sheet into a box
  • Secure the corners with heavy duty tape
  • Wrap the painting with bubble wrap
  • Finally, slide this bubble-wrapped painting into the cardboard box

Shipping Rolled Art

Here are the supplies that you will need to pack your art:

  • Bubble wrap
  • Glassine
  • Box cutter and scissors
  • Artist tape
  • PVC or cardboard tube

Note: When choosing a tube for your art, make sure that it is at least 4 inches taller than your painting’s height. As for when the painting is rolled, the tube needs to be 6 inches wider than your artwork’s rolled width. This is because when the painting is rolled, the diameter of the paper is doubled.

Step #1

Lay down the glassine sheets on a surface and spread your painting on it. If the painting is on paper, then the art should be facing up, towards you and if the painting is on fabric, it should be face down on the glassine sheet. Create a thick layer by placing at least two to three sheets with the painting.

Step #2

Align the glassine sheets and start rolling the painting. Remember, the first roll should be the glassine sheet and not the painting. This will prevent the edges from rolling in themselves and tearing.

Step #3

Secure the middle of the roll with artist tape.

Step #4

Place the roll on the bubble wrap and leave a few inches from both ends. Gently roll the bubble paper and secure that too with artist tape.

Step #5

Fold the bubble wrap from the ends and create a cushion for the edges.

Step #6

Slide the roll into the tube and close the top. Wrap this entire tube with tape and label the package.

There you go! Your artwork successfully rolled and packed, and on its way to your exhibition. Bon voyage, art!

Art Shipping

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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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

The 10 Golden Rules You Must Be Aware Of Before Art Shipping

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f you are one of the talented artists, selling their popularly demanded work of art online, you must acknowledge the golden rules of art shipping.

Let’s take a look at the how to execute art shipping, successfully:

  1. Packing tape: Invest in the best and the most robust packing tape. The tighter and sturdier the packing tape on your art work would be, the more securely it would be sealed. To ensure a successful shipment, you want to make sure the packing tape is strong and well laid out.
  2. Packaging box: If your artwork has to be stored in a box, there must be a soft base over which your artwork must be carefully laid. Art shipping can only be successful when the box has a plush base and sufficient space within.
  3. Art stickers: Before discharging the art shipping, make sure you add large, art-friendly stickers on your art work. This will allow the art to be treated carefully during the shipment. When art shipping is carried out, it is important that those dealing with it avoid bending of the art work.
  4. Packaging materials: Customary packaging materials used to lack sufficient strength in them that would allow the packaging of art work to be robust, such as strings, ties or brown paper. This is why you should always use modern packaging materials since they add a strong seal to the art shipping and prevents it from being accidentally exposed.
  5. Labels: Make sure you add the correct postal labels on top of the packaging to execute art shipping successfully. A lack of consideration to the labels will hinder the successful delivery of your art work to the destined location.
  6. Instructions: If your art shipping carries a return policy, make sure you add informative instructions that would allow successful returns. This can only be possible when you mention the details of your return policies, the instructions on packaging when a customer wants to return the art work and the conditions under which the returns would be accepted.
  7. Personnel information: When releasing an art shipping, it is of immense importance that you attach your personnel information along with the package. This information should include your return address, your full name, your contact number and your email address. In the case of a return or complaint, it would allow your customer to reach out to you.
  8. Organization: It is important to maintain organization of your important documents, files, and receipts when releasing art shipping. This eliminates the chances of confusions and allows you to maintain records.
  9. Insurance: Your art shipping must always be insured. This will allow compensation in case of a mishandling of your fragile product and you would not have to undergo the loss.
  10. Carrier: Make sure you choose the right carrier who is a pro at handling delicate art shipping.