Custom Art Print Shipping Boxes for Prints, Canvases and Frames

What is an art print shipping box?

It is a corrugated box built to carry artwork without bending, scratching or cracking it. The inside size is set by the piece plus whatever protection you wrap around it.

Our photos show the range this covers. You can see deep printed cartons in solid colours and kraft boxes marked with handling symbols. There is also a flat printed sheet showing a patterned box before folding.

The shape depends on what you send. Unframed prints suit a shallow box. Framed work and canvases need more depth for the frame and its guards.

Should I ship prints flat or rolled?

Flat is better for anything mounted, framed or on heavy paper. Rolling works for posters and unmounted prints on lighter stock, and it keeps the parcel compact.

If you roll some work, our kraft paper tubes for rolled prints sit alongside these boxes. Many artists use tubes for open editions and flat boxes for originals.

A flat box also lets you add a backing board, a signed provenance card and a thank-you card in one neat layer. That is harder to do neatly inside a tube.

Which board protects artwork best?

Size and glass both matter. A flat mounted print needs a box that will not bend, and B flute gives that stiffness. A large glazed frame needs a thicker wall that soaks up knocks.

For a closer look at flute heights, read the guide to corrugated flute types. The table below gives our usual starting points.

How should I protect the corners of a frame?

Corners take the hardest knocks, so they need their own guards. Slip a protector over each one before the frame goes in, so the frame never touches the box walls. Our board edge and corner protectors can go on the same order.

Cover the glass with low-tack tape in a cross or a sheet of card. If the glass does crack, the pieces stay in place and do not score the print.

Then wrap the whole frame and fill any remaining gap so it cannot slide. A frame that moves, even slightly, is the one that arrives with a split mitre.

How do I post an unframed original?

Place the work between two sheets of stiff board cut slightly larger than the paper. Tape the boards together at the edges, not on the art, so the piece is sandwiched and cannot flex.

Slip a sheet of acid-free tissue or glassine over the surface first if the medium can smudge. Pastels, charcoal and soft pencil all need this step.

The sandwich then goes into a shallow box with a little fill around it. A box only a few millimetres larger than the boards keeps the whole bundle from sliding about.

Can you make boxes for several print sizes?

Yes, and it usually saves money on fill. Most print shops sell three or four standard sizes, so a matching box for each makes packing quicker and keeps every parcel snug.

We can carry the same artwork across every size so the range looks consistent. A separate proof comes with each size, which lets you confirm the design still sits well on a smaller panel.