There is no doubt that painting shipping, when it’s your own artwork can be extremely daunting! You’ve worked hard on a piece and it’s ready to go to its new home, whether that be a member of the public, gallery, or exhibition. You can’t wait to hear feedback on how the customer likes their new piece but first, you have to ensure it gets there safely!
Painting shipping for artists doesn’t have to be a complicated or stressful process when a few rules are followed. Using a reputable painting shipping company and the correct packaging techniques guarantees your art will reach its destination safely. Read on for our advice to artists shipping their own work.
Packaging & Handling Paintings For Shipping
The proper packaging and handling is one of the most important aspects of shipping paintings. The wrong packing material or improper care when it comes to handling precious works of art can have costly consequences.
Packaging doesn’t need to be difficult or complicated, it just needs to be done correctly! Packaging paintings well can even be achieved with inexpensive materials. If you are packaging your paintings yourself, just remember whatever packing material is touching the surface of your painting should be acid-free. For this reason, cardboard should be avoided as it is often too acidic. Cardboard is fine for outer layers but to protect the surface of a painting, acid-free paper is your best bet.
If your painting shipping company offers packaging services, take them up on this offer as letting the professionals wrap your artworks is the guaranteed way to ensure they are adequately protected. If you want to package yourself, you may find our painting packaging guide handy.
When you use a proper painting shipping company to pack your pieces you will also have the option to choose from more robust packaging methods for especially large or delicate pieces of work. This includes crates and boxes.
How your paintings are handled during the shipping process is also just as important as how they are packaged. Sending your paintings through a regular mail carrier or parcel service can work out ok, but why take the risk? We’ve all seen images online of parcels thrown over fences or left outside in bins! A specialist art shipping service understands exactly how art should be handled, and the importance of proper delivery methods.
Painting Shipping Insurance & Documentation
Painting shipping can still be worrying even when you have packaged art correctly. There are so many things that can go wrong during transport, so you must make sure you choose a delivery company carefully.
Whilst standard shipping companies do offer insurance, some may not cover certain areas such as accidental damage, or they may not provide a high enough level of cover for expensive works. When you choose a company such as Aardvark Art, insurance covers every scenario possible including damage, loss, or theft. Even though these scenarios are unlikely because we take so many precautions to ensure the safe delivery of artworks.
We also take care of any documentation that needs shipping with your art and ensure it reaches the right person. This can include authenticity certificates, proof of ownership, or any contracts.
You can read here about some of the security precautions we take to ensure any artwork we ship is safe at all times.
Aardvark Art
Our final advice on shipping your own paintings? Don’t take the risk with other delivery services or the postal system. These companies are more than adequate to ship goods that are replaceable such as clothing or home goods, but your work doesn’t fall under this category.
Even if a provider has insurance, should the worst happen to your art, yes you will be able to claim financial compensation but the work itself will be gone or damaged beyond repair.
So, whilst insurance is necessary, and we provide it with our shipping service, it’s the handling and delivery process that is important to avoid any mishaps occurring in the first place.
When you use a specialist painting shipping company such as ours, you’re paying for a service and knowledge which guarantees you peace of mind and decreases the chances, quite significantly of anything happening to your work. Other than it reaching its destination safely!
If you have any paintings that need shipping, whether to a private home, gallery, or exhibition, get in touch with us for a chat about your requirements and to get a free quote.