Revised 2012
I want to share with you an affordable and safe way to package your paintings for shipment to and from shows, customers and galleries.
This is my adaptation of the ideas shared through Oil Painters of America's tutorial on shipping boxes, and I have been using it very successfully for two years now.
CLICK ON ALL IMAGES TO ENLARGE FOR DETAILS
The major advantages:
- Affordable
- Flexible
- Reusable
Materials:
- 8 foot by 4 foot by 1.5 inch sheet of insulfoam, a rigid, foamed plastic sheet used for insulation. This foam comes in several thicknesses, but the 1.5 inch works best with the shipping box I use. You will find this product at the big box home remodeling/construction stores. Usually around $18 for the sheet.
- A Picture Frame Box, side-loading design with over-lapping flaps. The size used in this tutorial is 36" x 5" x 30" and runs around $2.10 per box, sold in packs of 10 - or about $21.00 for ten boxes. Smaller boxes are even less. do an internet search to locate suppliers such as packagingprice.com and uline.com.
- A long straight edge, clear packing tape, a box cutter or similar sharp blade, and I also like to use a fillet knife from my kitchen drawer.
- Strong straping tape if desired.
- Shop Vac
Step one - Build a Foam Box
Take the outside measurement of your framed painting to determine your inner size. Add 2 inches all the way around: example a 16 x 20 framed size would need a size of 20 x 24. Cut two pieces from the foam in this size using the straight edge and your blade. Several slow shallow cuts, going deeper each time, gives you a clean edge.
Measure each outside edge - you should have 2 that are 20 inches and 2 that are 24 inches. Cut two strips 2 inches by 20, and two strips 2 inches by 24. These are your side pieces and you will need to trim them to fit. I plan for the 1.5 inch side to provide the height /depth of box I need and the 2" side to fit along outside edge. If your frame is unusually large, check the crate depth needed and adjust measurements accordingly.
I like to use an off-set pattern for stability. (click on image to enlarge for detail) You will have a lot of foam bits slinging to the cut surfaces. Use the shop vack to clean all edges, then tape the exposed foam using the clear packing tape. This ELIMINATES all concerns for messes on the receiving end. Double check your size by checking the fit of your painting in the box and make any adjustments.
Now tape the sides to the bottom of the box using clear tape - use as much as you need to give stability and wrap the corners securely over the top and around to the bottom.
Here is a finished box. This process takes me about an hour and a half, and I spend most of the time on the measurements. If you plan on wrapping your painting in bubble wrap, make allowances for the space needed. I have shipped paintings both ways - wrapped in bubble in a similar foam crate, and wrapped only in a plastic bag and fitted snugly in the foam crate. And I have received paintings back both ways intact without damage.
Step Two - Custom fit the ready-made box
I am using a ready-made cardboard box called a Picture Frame box, in the 30" x 5" x 36" size. This is a side-loading design, with over-lapping flaps at the "top" and "bottom". This size accomodates many paintings and allows plenty of room to "cut it down to size."
The first thing I do is cut one long folded side. You can see in this image that I cut along the edge that is 36 inches and does not have the overlapping edges on the inside (created when the box is constructed by the manufacturer - look inside the box and you will see it).
Cut carefully using the blade and then open out the now sheet-like cardboard on a large flat surface.
Line the foam box up with the edge folds on one side and across the back. The cardboard should be long on the other sides. What we are going to do is create new fold lines where we want them to fit to our foam box, and create a hinged box similar to the Airfloat type boxes.
Trace a light pencil line around the box dimension to get general placement.
Before setting foam box aside, measure the exact dimensions of the box - don't worry if you are not exactly square, you want to know the longest dimension width and length. Here you can see that I have added a new, measured line to be accurate (so box isn't too small or too large) and indicated the outside edge where I want to put my crease.
Before creasing cardboard, double check fit with your foam box by folding up one of the edges.
I crease using a straight edge and the BACK edge of my box cutter. You can also use a flat screw driver or a bone folder. You want a 1/4 inch wide crease that does not cut all the way through the cardboard.
Fold carefully.
Measure and trim the new 5 inch edge
Cut the new corner flap. This should be so that the 5 inch section folds up toward the 5 inch long dimension and not toward the 30 or 36 inch length.
Next I began taping the corners and double checking that I was accurate. I start with the bottom front corners, then fold over the top and check my alignment.
I print out my contact information with an image of the painting to be shipped and tape that to the outside of the foam box top.
I also have started adding a cartoon drawing on the outside of the box to illustrate how to open the box. Started doing this after one gallery completely misunderstood the taped edges and cut the box open on one end, pretty much mangling it. How they got the foam crate out I don't know. Plus, if a gallery doesn't send this box back after a sale no great loss.
I reuse the foam boxes, and build new cardboard boxes for each show. I have standard sized foam boxes but also will cut one down and retape the edges. I estimate that I have less than $10 invested in even the largest boxes and this process takes me between 2 and 3 hours.
Sources for boxes: search for "Picture Frame Boxes" with side-loading design, over-lapping flaps. They come in a variety of sizes, and the 5" depth is perfect when using the 1.5 size (makes total height of my foam box 4.5 inches and inner measurement of cardboard box approximately 4.75 to 5" - good fit.
You might also look at the Jumbo Kraft Easy Fold Mailer for smaller paintings.
