When you ship works of art, you should be exceptionally careful — they are fragile and can be easily spoiled. What should you start with when you plain shipping a painting? How to do that and how to pack a work of art? We are going to highlight these and other important aspects of shipping artworks in our today’s guide.

Keep in mind that shipping a framed painting and a painting without any frame varies in cost. Sometimes the difference is considerable. Why is it so? In many cases, the artwork without a frame can be rolled and then packed into an individual cylinder. As a result, its weight is light, and the shipping is cheaper. If the painting has a frame, the weight grows considerably, and such a piece is much more fragile (if the glass is part of the frame). The price for shipping, in this case, is much higher, and you should take more time to prepare the work of art for shipping and packing.

For insurance purposes, take a photo of your painting before you pack it and then after each packing stage also. Try to make close and clear images to fix all existing damages, the current condition of your work of art, and the stickers and labels on the box.

In case your painting is framed and protected with a piece of glass, you’d better remove it and pack separately. If it is impossible, follow our instructions:

• Carefully place pieces of blue tape across the glass to prevent it from splintering in case the glass is broken while transporting. Place the first pieces of tape horizontally and vertically. Then cover the whole glass with the tape.

• Make sure that the tape isn’t in contact with the frame!

If the painting has no glass, then wrap it in acid-free tissue paper. Why acid-free? The chemicals can make reactions to the paint. And if it is too hot, the paper can even stick to your painting.

The final stage of packing a painting is wrapping it in craft paper. After that, cover it with bubble wrap.

As you see, the process of packing and shipping a piece of art is not an easy task. You’d better entrust it to the professionals. They usually have a vast experience in shipping works of art made of different materials: ceramic masterpieces, glass, metal art, paintings, etc.