Shipping artwork can feel nerve-wracking, but with the right techniques, you can ensure your pieces arrive safely and sustainably. Whether you’re an artist, gallery owner, or online shop, this guide will help you confidently prepare your art for its journey.
Learn how to pack artwork for shipping, including:
Protect your paintings and sculptures while protecting the planet. With the right materials and a thoughtful approach, your artwork, and your reputation, will stay safe in transit.
The first step in protecting artwork for shipping is choosing the right outer container. The best choice depends on the type of art you’re sending, framed paintings and drawings often need different solutions than three-dimensional pieces like sculptures.
Cardboard boxes and wooden crates, for example, each offer unique levels of impact resistance. This affects the type of interior cushioning you’ll need to prevent movement and absorb shocks (more on that below).
It’s also essential to consider how your art will be transported. Lower-value or smaller pieces, such as those sold on Etsy, often travel via common carriers like USPS, UPS, or FedEx. Higher-value or fragile works may benefit from specialized art delivery services. These companies use trained handlers, offer climate-controlled transport, and can even install the artwork on arrival, reducing the risk of damage during unpacking or placement.
Specialized carriers also come in handy for oversized or heavy artwork that exceeds standard shipping limits. Every carrier sets its own size and weight restrictions, so it’s wise to check those guidelines early. And remember, your package dimensions aren’t just the artwork itself. They also include the protective layers, padding, and crating you add to keep your piece safe in transit.
Impact damage is only one of the threats artwork faces during transit. Punctures, abrasion, and even liquid leaks from neighboring parcels can cause serious harm. That’s why it’s essential to safeguard your piece from every possible risk, not just bumps and drops.
Follow this step-by-step approach to package most flat artwork safely for shipping in a cardboard box—the most common method for artists:
Wrap with Protective Cushioning
Avoid Plastic Wrapping
Secure Glass Surfaces
Add a Protective Cardboard Layer
Finish with Stretch and Void Fill
By layering these materials strategically, you create a multi-tiered defense system that absorbs shock, resists punctures, and limits exposure to moisture, ensuring your artwork arrives exactly as it left your studio.
Three-dimensional artwork requires extra cushioning and careful handling. While the initial wrapping steps are similar to those for flat artwork, skip the heavy cardboard layer. Instead, after wrapping the art in product wrap, place it inside a shipping box with plenty of void fill all around it. HexaFil™ will give you the cushioning you need and won’t flatten out over time the way many synthetic packaging materials do.
Once your artwork is safely wrapped and boxed, proper sealing becomes your last line of defense. Use a high-quality clear 3.5-millimeter packing tape (also called storage tape) at least two inches wide. This heavy-duty tape will help ensure the box stays tightly sealed throughout its journey.
Use a packing tape dispenser and keep plenty of tension on the tape as you apply it. Go further than the edges of the box down the next side for better adhesion and a reduced risk of accidental opening. Overlap strips slightly for even greater durability. Finally, apply clear handling instructions such as “Fragile” or “This End Up” labels to the outside of the package. These simple steps increase visibility for carriers and reduce the chance of mishandling, giving your artwork the highest chance of arriving exactly as intended.
Earlier we highlighted why plastic packaging can damage artwork, but the drawbacks go far beyond aesthetics. Aside from it potentially damaging your artwork, there are other reasons to opt for sustainable kraft paper packaging instead.
It’s impossible to read the news these days and not realize plastic is harming the environment. Synthetic packing materials like plastic bubble and foam peanuts can take decades or even centuries to decompose, and they leave chemicals in the soil. Eventually, these microscopic bits of plastic wind up in our water supplies, wildlife, and even the food chain, ultimately reaching the human body where they can pose serious health risks.
Most synthetic packaging is also difficult to recycle. Even products labeled “recyclable” often require specialized facilities that many communities simply don’t have access to. The result is more waste, higher disposal costs, and a larger environmental footprint.
A better choice is to opt for sustainable packaging like the products made by HexcelPack. HexcelPack’s innovative paper-based products offer a smarter alternative:
Plus, sustainable packaging is more appealing to eco-conscious customers and compliant with places that are enacting stricter sustainability laws.
No matter the size, shape, or medium of your artwork, HexcelPack can help you protect it in transit, so it arrives exactly as it left your studio. Our sustainable packaging solutions are engineered to cushion, stabilize, and safeguard even the most delicate pieces.
Want to see the difference firsthand? Ship us a sample of your artwork—we’ll wrap, pack, and return it so you can experience our protective system in action.
Have questions or unique packaging challenges? Our team of experts is here to help. Contact us anytime for personalized guidance and recommendations tailored to your art shipping needs.