How to pack artwork to ship internationally

Artist resources

Start by asking the organiser

Read the competition's delivery instructions before you pack anything. Many organisers state how they want work to arrive, whether it must be ready to hang, and which couriers or agents they work with. If something isn't clear, ask. Organisers deal with international entries all the time and are usually glad to help.

Why the size of the parcel matters more than its weight

Check the rules of your courier, as they don't all price parcels the same way. Some, such as DHL, FedEx and UPS, charge by actual weight or volumetric weight, whichever is larger. Volumetric weight reflects the space a parcel takes up, usually length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 5,000. Others, such as Royal Mail, price smaller parcels by actual weight alone, within set size limits.

With a courier that charges this way, a 100 × 70cm canvas, stretched and boxed at around 110 × 80 × 15cm, is charged as if it weighed about 26kg, however light it really is. The same canvas rolled into a 110cm tube 12cm across is charged at around 3kg. Measure and weigh the finished parcel before you get a quote, and keep the packing generous but not bulky.

Paintings on canvas: consider rolling

That is why it is often much cheaper to ship a rolled canvas than a framed or stretched one. A tube is small, light and tough, while a stretched canvas is bulky and its corners and surface are easy to damage.

If you ship rolled, the work will need stretching when it arrives. Get in touch with the organiser and ask whether they can recommend a local framer or stretcher. A lot of competitions will, and some arrange it themselves.

• Rolling suits most canvases, but not very thick impasto or paint that is already brittle or cracking. Ship those stretched.
• Leave a generous unpainted border around the image so there is canvas to pull around the bars.
• Lay a protective sheet (see below) over the painted surface so it runs between every layer of the roll, then roll with the painted side facing outwards. Rolled this way, the paint is gently compressed when the canvas is flattened again rather than stretched, which makes cracking less likely.
• Roll loosely around a wide, rigid tube, ideally 10cm across or more. The tighter the curve, the more stress on the paint.
• Wrap the outside in bubble wrap, then slide it into a sturdy outer tube with end caps taped on, packed so it can't slide around.

Let paint dry properly

Oil paint should be given considerable drying time before it is wrapped, rolled or varnished. A surface can feel dry to the touch while the paint beneath is still soft, and thick passages can take months to dry through. Don't pack anything that is still tacky or freshly varnished, and plan ahead for entry deadlines so you aren't forced to.

What touches the surface

The first layer over a painting or work on paper should be a sheet that won't stick to it or mark it. Art suppliers sell three main kinds:

• Glassine: a smooth, slightly see-through, acid-free paper with an almost waxy feel. The usual choice for most paintings and works on paper.
• Silicone release paper: coated so that nothing sticks to it. Useful over textured or heavily worked paint.
• Acid-free unbuffered tissue: soft and gentle, and the safer choice for photographs and other sensitive surfaces.

Never put bubble wrap, cling film or tape straight onto the work. Plastic can also trap moisture against it.

Over that first layer, use bubble wrap with the bubbles facing outwards, flat side inwards. Bubbles pressed against a surface can leave a pattern of marks, particularly on oil paint and particularly on a varnished piece.

Stretched and framed paintings

• Fit card or foam corner protectors. Corners take most of the knocks.
• Put a rigid sheet, such as foam board or corrugated card, over the face of a stretched canvas so nothing can be pushed through it.
• Pack it in a strong double-walled box, filled so the work doesn't move when you tilt it.

Flat work: paper, board and panels

For flat work such as drawings, prints, photographs, works on paper or on board, use a rigid board on either side and ship it flat packed.

• Cover the work with one of the protective sheets above, or place it in an acid-free sleeve.
• Sandwich it between two sheets of hardboard, mount board or corrugated card cut larger than the work on every side, and tape the edges so it can't shift. Add corner protectors to works on board.
• Add bubble wrap or foam around the sandwich and send it in a flat box or a stiff mailer, marked “Do not bend”.
• Works on flexible paper can also be rolled, as for canvas.

Glazed work and sculpture: a box within a box

If the work has glass in it, or it is a three-dimensional piece such as a sculpture or ceramic, pack it as a box within a box:

1. The artwork
2. Protective packaging
3. An inner box
4. More protective packaging
5. An outer box

Leave around 5cm of cushioning on every side between the two boxes, so a knock to the outer box is absorbed before it reaches the work. Fill every gap so nothing moves when you tilt or shake it.

• Glass is the most common thing to break in transit. Run low-tack masking tape across the glazing in a grid, so that if it does break the pieces stay put and can't cut the work. Better still, ask the organiser whether you may use acrylic glazing instead, which is lighter and won't shatter.
• Take off anything that detaches, such as a base or loose element, and wrap each part on its own with a note on how it goes back together.
• Wrap sculpture in acid-free tissue before any bubble wrap or foam. Waxed, patinated or painted surfaces shouldn't touch plastic.
• Pad anything that sticks out, such as arms, rims and edges, so no fragile part carries the weight of the piece.
• Very heavy work, or stone, bronze and large glass, is safer in a screwed wooden crate. Talk to the organiser or your courier first.
• Mark which way is up on the outer box.

What not to put in the box

• Solvents, oils, fixatives, aerosols or any other liquids. Couriers class them as dangerous goods and will refuse the parcel.
• Protected materials, such as ivory, tortoiseshell, some tropical hardwoods, shells or feathers, can be restricted when they cross borders, even in small amounts. Check before you send a work that contains them.

Before you seal it

• Photograph the work front and back, or from every side, before you pack it, then photograph the packing as you go. It helps with any insurance claim, and with repacking if the work is coming back to you.
• Label the back of the work with your name, the title and the competition, and put a copy of the same details inside the box.
• Pack so the box can be opened and repacked easily: the organiser may be sending it home in the same packaging.
• Seal every seam with strong packing tape, and remove or cover any old labels.
• Check the customs requirements for the destination country.

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