Pack well and prevent damage to your artwork

Transporting art is the most common way that artwork gets damaged. If you need to deliver your artwork personally, via a courier or via post you should certainly spend a little time to prepare it for its journey to ensure it remains undamaged. Alternatively seek the services of a professional Art Transport or Art Shipping company.

Packaging materials
Here are some great tips for packing artwork to prevent damage during & after transport;

• Corner Protectors - These are pieces of hard cardboard folded in such a way that they can slip on or off the corners of a canvas or framed artwork. They will protect the front, sides and back of the corners. Corner protectors are pretty easy to make yourself by cutting out a square from an old cardboard box then on left and right sides cut a "V" section out. Fold it around your artwork corners and sticky-tape it down.
   
• Bubble Wrap - Avoid bubble wrap at all costs as it is terrible for the environment! But if you happen to be using a recycled piece, the side with the bubbles should face inwards and make sure your painting is VERY dry as bubble wrap will trap humidity and may stick to the paint surface. Also you should use paper masking-tape to stick down bubble wrap as it can be easily un-stuck later. Plastic tape requires considerable strength to tear off, or requires scissors, both actions can potential damage the artwork.
   
• Fragile Stickers - If you are sending breakables by post or courier it's a good idea to buy some florescent "FRAGILE" stickers and use a lot of them on large boxes. Postage handlers generally ignore "This Way Up" signs as they try to fit multiple parcels in the smallest space possible. However most handlers will place obviously "FRAGILE" boxes on top and in the safest possible position.
   
• Wrapping Paper - If you are wrapping individual items where the paper will come in contact with artwork surfaces, especially porous surfaces its generally best to use Tissue paper, NOT, newspaper. Good tissue paper is soft, acid free and unlike newspaper wont smudge black ink. Tissue paper is also soft an allows the wrapped item to breathe.
   
• Shredded Paper - A great way to use recycled materials! Shredded paper is light weight and particularly good for packing sculpture in boxes, or padding out packages with multiple artworks. 
   
• The Right Box - If you need to send framed artwork visit your local bicycle shop or hardware store. They often have large slender boxes which can be cut down to fit stretched canvas. If you are sending sculpture visit your local fruit market they often have foam boxes in which you can place shredded paper to protect fragile items.
   
• Reinforce The Box - When a square cardboard box arrives overseas it is often dented, somewhat softened and sometimes almost round! This can occur from movement during transit & packing of large cargo holds. One tip is to re-enforce cardboard boxes with packing tape around the width of the box paying attention to the seam where the box has been glued together and the seams where the top and bottom flaps close.

Be environmentally friendly! - Whatever packing materials you choose, please try and look after the environment by using more recyclable materials. Please avoid plastic or foam products at all costs, if buying new packing materials try to buy products made from recycled materials and leave a note with your item inviting the receiver to compost or recycle the packing materials.


Art Transport & Postage options
A lot of Artists happily send artwork (well packed) via the postal service with no problems. Alternatively for a more timely delivery and assurance that the receiver will have to sign for the package you could use a courier service. You will need to ring up the courier company and book the pick up, the parcel must be there ready packaged, addressed and waiting. Couriers offer quite affordable same day delivery in metropolitan areas. You can also opt for Professional Art Transport.

Professional Art Transport
If your artwork is prone to damage, large, awkward, going a long distance, or is very valuable its highly recommended that you use professional art transport services. Art moving companies have the ability and expertise that will make it much easier. They'll often build specific timber crates and help you with potential quarantine, customs & insurance issues too.