7 Steps to Prep Artwork for International Shipping

Irrespective of being an art lover who buys or an art seller who is selling painting, there are several guidelines you need to follow to have your artwork safely transported internationally to the destined location. You can either prepare your shipping with your artwork that is framed or rolled.

If you opt to ship a rolled artwork, make sure you safely enclose the art in Rollers. If the artwork has already been stretched and framed, ensure that it is ready for shipping by prepping it with a glass enclosure to make sure your piece keeps devoid of dirt marks or fingerprints and remains immaculate throughout its journey. Make sure you handle the artwork with care, we recommend soft cloth gloves for the best outcome, as they have been scientifically proven not to stain.

1 – Artwork measured to know it’s dimension:

It is important that you are aware of the dimension of your artwork for you to enclose them within correct sized boxes during transit. Also, most of the sellers have the artwork priced based on the dimension of the piece. Most people overlook the importance of this step, getting a close fit to your artwork’s dimensions can greatly increase how secured in place your artwork will be and make the rest of the steps that much easier as well.

2 – Shipping Containers of Appropriate Sizes and Materials:

Ship your paintings within correct sized shipping containers to protect them damages during the shipment. The boxes must enclose artwork and resist any further damage during transit, such as water and fire protection. The shipping boxes are usually one time used and as multiple uses can compromise the quality of protection. Mostly wooden boxes are the preferred art storage solutions for framed works and metal rollers for unframed artworks.

3 – Additional Packaging Care:

In the past, we’ve had many great artistic artefacts damaged due to shipping and handling accidents. These accidents will always be a part of the shipping process, however, you can add additional packaging care to decrease your chances.

Make sure you warp your artwork with extra padding such as a bubble wrap, carboards, cushy white cotton clothing to prevent scratches, scrapes and dents in the artwork. Protect the corners of your framed artworks with corner caps, so they don’t chip off on slightest pressure.

Any critical damage to the artwork is easily prevented by wrapping the framed artwork or the rollers with bubble warps and sealing the ends. Make sure the bubble wraps are not squeezing the piece too tightly, as the more you give in sealing the artworks together, more damage it can cause because of pressure. Foams boards are used when multiple frames are packed in one big wooden box for shipping. Ensure that your packaging protects the artwork from moisture and is dust-free. Plastic wraps are also preferred as they prevent scratches on glasses and frames.

4 – High-quality packaging:

Enhance the protection to artwork by using high-grade industrial materials which have been tested perform better than the recycled materials. High-quality tapes and sealants should be used for packaging. They reinforce the internal padding provided and keep vital supports in place. Proper packaging gives your shipment a very professional appearance and gives sturdy protection during the shipment transit. Recycled boxes and low-quality duct tapes cannot provide the needed support and protection and will leave your artwork vulnerable to chips and scrapes along the way.

5 – Shipping Insurance:

Standard insurances offered by the shipping companies are not very big and cannot amount the losses incurred to damaged artwork or when the artwork is lost. Third-party shipping insurance can assist you in these cases and help you get full coverage based on the claim filed. This is a trusted measure that professional exhibition display services opt to take to ensure peace of mind.

6 – Customs and paperwork:

You need to have the right papers ready if you are organizing to deliver the artwork all by yourself, and these declaration documents can play a critical role in timely artwork delivery. Relevant documents that must be collected and prepared are invoice copies for the export, customs declaration forms, trade tariffs code for the commodity, your license to export, EORI number and VAT.

7 – Shipping agent: 

Most commercial shipping industries are carriers or freights who offer a huge discount based on market value. The shipping agents decide on the delivery times and dates. Ensure to check for other professional packers and agents to get the lowest price and best service possible.

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