How to Pack and Ship Paintings Professionally

Sooner or later, every artist faces the task of shipping their painting(s)—whether to be exhibited, delivered to a gallery, or sent to a new home after being sold. In these moments, it’s essential to be adequately informed and to know how to do it properly. Not only to protect the artwork you’ve created, but also to present yourself professionally to collectors and curators to increase the likelihood of a future exhibition or sale, and to avoid unnecessary expenses to optimize your profit margins by working strategically and cost-efficiently. This tutorial will guide you through two primary methods for packing and shipping paintings: one using a crate for long-distance or international shipping, and another using a soft-pack approach for shorter, door-to-door deliveries. We’ll walk you through every step of the process—from selecting the right packaging materials, how to pack the paintings, to choosing the best shipping solution for your work—so you can send your paintings safely and professionally, wherever they need to go.

Step 1: What Do You Need to Pack Paintings?

Let’s start by gathering all the necessary tools and materials for a swift packing process. Using the right supplies ensures both the safety of your work and a professional appearance upon delivery. So, what does one need beyond their artwork? First and foremost, we’ll be needing some basic tools such as a pair of scissors, packing tape, a tape dispenser, and some acid-free tape. Up next, we need to have the right packing materials, including acid-free tissue paper, bubble wrap, or a roll of bubble wrap that combines both, with a layer of acid-free tissue paper against the wrap to protect the artwork from any unwanted imprints of the texture of the bubble wrap. To conclude, for long-distance shipping or when shipping with regular transportation services, a wooden crate or sturdy cardboard box is recommended, accompanied by some anti-static packing beans. For shorter distances in combination with an art-specific transportation company, it is not necessary to have a crate, although foam corner protectors are recommended for further protection. To conclude, sticker paper is particularly useful for printing shipping labels and creating warning signs, such as “fragile,” “handle with care,” or “this side up” messages.

Step 2: Selecting Your Shipping Strategy

Selecting your shipping strategy is important prior to packaging the artwork, because depending on your shipping solution, the packaging can be different. The first question we need to answer is if we will be using a crate or box to ship the artwork or if are we able to ship it in bubble wrap only—also known as soft-pack. A wooden crate is the most secure option for long-distance or international shipping, especially when the artwork will pass through multiple hands, cargo holds, or customs inspections. In these situations, crating reduces the risk of damage and offers the highest level of protection. However, a crate or box for the packed artwork is an additional cost. If the artwork is traveling shorter distances, soft-packing can be sufficient when delivering the artwork yourself or when outsourcing the delivery to an art-specific transportation company. You can save on crate costs and redirect part of that budget toward a professional art delivery service. This not only maintains a high standard of presentation, but also ensures the safety of your work through specialized, careful handling—without increasing your overall shipping expenses.

Choosing the right shipping company depends on several factors: distance, size, weight, and value. For shipping strategy 1 to cover long-distance and overseas shipping using a crate or box for optimal protection, major logistics companies like FedEx, UPS, and DHL are typically the most reliable and competitively priced options. Each offers online price calculators, which allow you to input the dimensions, weight, value, and destination of your shipment to find the most cost-effective solution. Prices can vary significantly depending on these factors, so it’s worthwhile to compare all three. Additionally, some national postal services offer excellent and reliable shipping options—so definitely consider their service and pricing with the companies above as well. For shorter distances over land, using shipping strategy 2, opting for just a soft-pack with corner protectors, a specialized art transportation company may be the better choice.

Step 3: How to Pack a Painting for Safe Transport

We start by wrapping the front of the painting face-down in a layer of foam or acid-free tissue paper, making sure the pressure is evenly distributed across the surface. The folds where the paper ends should be on the backside of the paper to avoid creating any uneven levels or tension on the front of the artwork, as this can lead to damage during transit. Trim any excess material to keep the package clean and secure, then fasten the layer with white (acid-free) tape. Next, repeat the process using a layer of bubble wrap. Make sure the flat side of the bubble wrap, and not the most textured side, is on the inside of the package. Wrap the painting carefully, ensuring complete coverage. Once more, having the end of the bubble wrap and its folds on the backside of the artwork gives us a complete flat surface with even tension on the front side. Use packing tape to tightly seal the bubble wrap at the designated places on the canvas. Make sure there are no loose ends of bubble wrap by adding packaging tape where necessary.

Once the painting is fully soft-packed, when using an art-specific transportation company, or when shipping it yourself, all you have to do is add foam corners to your parcel. It is also recommended to add a label using sticker paper specifying the painting, including the shipping details and contact information. For longer distances and overseas, we must place it inside a wooden crate or cardboard box. To ensure the artwork remains stable during transport, fill any space in the crate or box with additional bubble wrap or anti-static foam beans. This will prevent the painting from shifting and protect it from potential impact while in transit. At this point, if you have a Certificate of Authenticity, you can include it in your parcel in a protective envelope. Seal the crate using the designated screws or the box using packaging tape. Add warning signs such as “fragile” or “handle with care.”

Step 1: Place the artwork face down on the acid-free tissue/foam paper.

Step 2: Cut away excessive foam/paper

Step 3: Use white tape to wrap the painting.

Step 4: Make sure all folds or overlapping foam/paper is on the backside of the artwork, so the front of the artwork has no uneven zones.

Step 5: Repeat this process by wrapping the painting in foam/paper in bubble wrap. Once more, place it face down and make sure that all folds or overlapping bubble wrap is on the backside of the artwork to have an even surface on the front side of the artwork.

Step 6: Use packaging tape to seal the bubble wrap tightly.

Step 7: For soft-pack shipping over land with an art-specific transportation company, instead of using a crate or box, add foam corner protectors over the bubble wrap, using packaging tape to attach them.

Step 8: Add a sticker with all the metadata of the artwork, shipping details, and contact information in case of an emergency such as damage.

Step 9: For long-distances and non-art-specific shipping solutions, place the artwork in a wooden crate or cardboard box.

Step 10: Add anti-static foam beans or bubble wrap so the artwork cannot move around in the box to avoid impact damage when being handled poorly.

Step 11: Add the certificate of authenticity in the crate or box using a bubble wrap envelope.

Step 12: Seal the crate or box using the designated screws or packaging tape.

Step 13: Add caution stickers to make sure your package will be handled with care.

 

 

Step 4: Scheduling the Shipment

Now that our paintings are packed—either in a crate or soft-pack—it’s time to schedule and order the shipment. When shipping paintings in a crate over long distances, especially internationally, it’s advisable to compare rates from major logistics providers such as DHL, UPS, FedEx, and your national postal service. These companies typically offer the most competitive prices, and with the artwork securely protected in a crate or box, their services ensure safe delivery. Most providers offer online calculators to estimate costs based on package size, weight, and destination. This enables you to choose the most economical option and reduce expenses.

Before ordering the shipment, make sure you have clear agreements in place with the receiver. Decide in advance who will be responsible for shipping costs and any additional import taxes or duties. Generally speaking, the client covers the shipping costs—adding the amount calculated via the shipping calculator to the final price on the invoice (you can find our artist invoice template + terms of sale here). If you’re negotiating a sale and want to close the deal, it can be helpful to offer to cover the shipping costs yourself. Never ship the artwork before receiving full payment. When working with galleries, the most common arrangement for emerging or new artists is that the artist pays for shipping to the gallery, while the gallery covers the costs of shipping it to the client after a sale, or back to the artist if unsold—unless it remains in the gallery’s storage for a specific period. If you’re more established, you can also stipulate that all shipping costs are the gallery’s responsibility if they wish to collaborate. These agreements should always be confirmed in writing, either through email correspondence or in a formal contract (find more information about artist-gallery agreements and contracts here).

Once full payment has been received, proceed with booking the shipment. Be sure to provide complete contact details for both sender and recipient, including phone numbers and email addresses. After booking, send the tracking code to the recipient so they can follow the shipment’s progress in real time. If you’re shipping internationally, remember to fill out all required customs documentation to avoid delays—this step is typically integrated into the transport service’s workflow. Print your labels using sticker paper and attach them to the crate or box. Then deliver the parcel to a nearby access point. Make sure to monitor the shipment using the tracking number and notify the client or gallery in case of any delays. When shipping over land using a soft-pack with corner protectors, request at least three quotes from transportation companies that handle art. You can also work with professional art handlers, though this significantly increases the cost. Google and Trustpilot are helpful resources for identifying reliable providers. Choose a door-to-door delivery service that picks up the work from your studio and delivers it directly to the final destination. If the artwork fits in your car and the location is within driving distance, consider delivering it yourself.

To conclude, always verify with the client or gallery that the artworks arrived safely.

Last Updated on September 25, 2025