In an ever more globalized world, both art business professionals and hobby artists or art collectors are all too often faced with a task of shipping artwork abroad, be it for an international exhibition or for the purpose of selling their finest pieces to online buyers. Naturally, sending precious works of art involves a huge responsibility as no avid painter would like to see their works ruined upon delivery. At Eurosender, we are aware of the challenges of shipping paintings internationally, which is why we only work together with the most renowned courier companies on the market. To merge safety with simplicity, we prepared a comprehensive art shipping guide with precious tips – from how to package paintings for shipping to crucial booking instructions.
Whether you are an Etsy seller, a small business or a professional art collector, Eurosender can be your trusted partner for shipping artwork to almost any address around the globe.
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Get informed on how to pack paintings for shipping.
Shipping paintings with our help is not just easier and safer, but also extremely convenient. Eurosender arranges the shipping with the company offering the best price-performance ratio, gets in touch with all the links of the supply chain in your name and makes sure everything runs smoothly. You can, therefore, enjoy all the benefits of a door-to-door delivery without stress and unwanted extra costs.
If you are not completely sure you would be able to ship paintings internationally without help or if you need additional information on this matter, do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Write us an e-mail or call us directly and our friendly customer support specialists will guide you through the process and help you with anything you need.
It does not matter if you want to ship a painting on canvas or only an art print, the choice of the most reliable courier service and proper protection always need to be combined with good preparation. Knowing which type of shipping service you need and how to easily book the transport will save you a lot of money and spare your nerves. To get you started, we recommend that you follow the below instructions:
Do you ship artwork abroad on a regular basis?
If you own a registered business and frequently need art shipping services, you can create a business account on Eurosender’s platform and benefit from even better prices and faster booking. Let us become your contract-free logistics department and get instant access to thousands of immediate quotes for freight shipping as well as to all the data regarding your past and current shipments. You can also take advantage of our pre-paid solution and book the shipping in a blink of an eye. Several packages – lower fine art shipping costs.
If you need to pack and ship more than 6 paintings in separate boxes, opting for an individual offer is a sure-fire way to even lower shipping prices. This is a great solution for private shippers and businesses alike.
Whether you need to ship artwork abroad or to another part of town, good protection is always crucial for successful delivery. In this case, you need to forget about the saying “less is more” and give your painting the best protection you possibly can. Below is the list of art packaging supplies that will help you prepare artwork for shipping (with packaging for art prints and pictures without a frame included):
Now that you have all the materials in front of you, the next most important thing is finding a clean and flat surface without clutter so that you will have enough space for proper packaging. You should also decide whether you want to ship paintings together with the frame or rolled in a tube. Below are instructions for both techniques.
If you do not need to ship artwork together with a frame, you can send it away in a mailing tube.
The process of shipping an oil painting can be rather different depending on the time when it was finished. Transporting a wet oil painting by courier might be a bit trickier as oil paintings can take a longer time to be completely dried, therefore should be treated differently when shipping.
When you want to transport a wet oil painting by courier you should be careful that nothing touches the surface of it, therefore do not put anything directly on it. Rather, build a thin crate that would cover the painting but with the surface of the painting at least 15mm away of it. Secure the painting to the rare crate panel with screws. Then add all the additional packaging materials starting from plastic sheeting, bubble wraps …to adding insulation Styrofoam and boxing everything together.
When you are shipping a dried oil painting it might seem like a simpler process but be careful as having a completely dried oil painting might take up to a year. Once you make sure it is dried, cover the painting with glassine paper, add bubble wrap (to avoid cracking of the paint), add some insulation Styrofoam and put it in a box to be shipped. When you are shipping an unframed oil painting you might consider rolling it up and transporting it but we suggest keeping them flat so there would be no damage and cracks on it.
If you worry that your drawing will smudge until it reaches its final destination, then follow our instructions to ensure the safest transport for your charcoal drawing. Before you start the preparation about shipping, spray the drawing with a workable fixative and add a couple of layers for extra protection. Then it is time to add glassine paper over the whole drawing. Cut two pieces of matte (according to the dimensions of the drawing) and ‘sandwich’ the previously prepared drawing inside. As we understand the fragility of this type of drawing and want the safest transport for your charcoal drawing, we suggest you secure it with adhesive tape or similar, so you will avoid any movement of it. Add additional bubble wrap, insulate and place it in the box.
Shipping insurance for a painting
1. Can I ship a painting?
Even though paintings are on the list of not recommendable items for shipping at most courier companies, with the right packaging it is possible to pack and ship them. Be aware that shipping paintings are always on your own risk. Also, be sure to check out our article on items that are prohibited to send.
2. Can I buy additional insurance if I send a painting?
Please note that regular insurance doesn’t count for packages that are not recommended for shipping and the same goes for additional insurance. Check out our article about items that are covered by shipping insurance.
At Eurosender, we have already helped numerous customers to ship artwork abroad. We have gathered some of the scenarios in which they turned to our services as they found Eurosender’s shipping solutions the most suitable for their needs:
Are you unsure about how to ship artwork abroad in your particular case? Do you have any special requirements? Let us remind you once again that we are here for you. Contact us and we will utilize our knowledge and experience to find the best transport option for your works of art.
Take into consideration these guidelines when you ship artwork abroad or within your country. Nevertheless, please consider that following them does not guarantee that the courier company will transport your shipment without restriction. In case you decide to ship paintings, Eurosender will not be held responsible for any damages caused by the transportation of your shipment.