How to pack artwork for shipping — box, crate or tube

When a work sells on Saatchi Art, the artist gets an email asking them to book a courier pickup. The pickup should happen within two to three days of the purchase. If 48 hours pass without a booking, Saatchi's artist support team calls and emails.

The packing has to be done inside those few days. The artist packs the work and pays for the packing materials. The collector pays for shipping.

The last note covered the paperwork and the export declaration. This one covers the step before it: what to wrap the work in, and how. I have set the packing guides that Saatchi Art and Singulart give their artists side by side. Where the two differ, I note it.

Think of packing as three layers

Singulart's packaging manual divides packing into three layers.

First, the interior layer. It keeps the surface from being scratched or sticking to anything. Acrylic or fully dry oil goes in plastic sheeting or paper; photographs, pastels and drawings go in glassine. Tape this layer only to itself — never to the surface of the work.

Second, the cushion layer. It absorbs the shock of a drop or a fall. Bubble wrap and corner protectors. Singulart asks for at least 3cm of cushioning around the work, more if it is heavy. If the box is dropped, the work should not touch the floor.

Third, the shell. It guards against puncture, crushing and slashing: a cardboard box, or a wooden crate for large works.

And the cushion layer must not move inside the shell. Any movement loosens the wrapping.

Packing materials: what to use and what not to use

Anything that touches the work must be archival (acid-free) quality. Both platforms put this sentence in their first step.

Singulart explains why newspaper and bin bags are out. They protect poorly, and they leave a bad impression on the collector who opens the box.

Peanuts are out too: they are hard to unpack and repack, and they do not protect well. Fill empty space with bubble wrap or shredded or wadded clean white paper (Saatchi).

Box, crate or tube: it depends on the size of the painting

Saatchi is stricter. One side at 48 inches already means a crate. Singulart allows heavy cardboard above 150cm, though it notes that cardboard flexes as it gets larger and protects less above 100×100cm.

The same painting may need different packing depending on where it sold. It helps to decide the packing method when you list the work.

Both platforms give the same warning: pack only when the paint is completely dry. Paint can look dry on the surface and not be. Saatchi states that damage from shipping a painting before it was dry is not covered by its insurance.

Paintings under 48 inches: packing in a cardboard box

This is Saatchi Art's order. Singulart follows the same outline.

1. Wrap the painting in glassine or acid-free tissue. Do not touch the surface with bare hands — wear white cotton gloves or hold it through tissue.
2. Fold four 8×8 in (20×20cm) squares of glassine diagonally twice into triangle pockets, and slip one onto each corner.
3. Lay the painting on a foam board (or two-ply cardboard) the same size or slightly larger, and tape it down by the corner pockets only.
4. Wrap it in plastic sheeting against moisture and tape every gap where water could get in.
5. Wrap it in two layers of bubble wrap, like a gift. Singulart specifies bubbles facing outward.
6. Add corner protectors.
7. Sandwich it between two foam boards at least ½ in (1.3cm) thick that extend 2–3 in (5–8cm) beyond every edge. Do not press hard on the surface; it can dent a stretched canvas.
8. Put it in a cardboard box with about 3 in (8cm) of space on every side, and fill the gaps with bubble wrap or white paper.
9. Seal the box with the H-taping method: one strip along the seam between the flaps, one across each end.
10. Attach the shipping label, cover it with clear tape, and write FRAGILE in large letters.

Singulart asks for one more thing at the end: a photograph of the packed work with a ruler against it. More on that below.

When to use a wooden crate, and how it is built

Saatchi Art calls for a crate for sculpture, large flat works, paintings of 48 inches or more, and anything fragile. Singulart recommends one when the surface is delicate, the work is heavy, or it is going overseas, and asks artists to talk to their logistics manager before building one.

The core of Saatchi's crate instructions:

• A frame of four ¼–½ in (0.6–1.3cm) plywood planks, with plywood panels front and back.
• A lining of ½ in (1.3cm) foam board. The work lies on foam with another foam board on top. There should be no room to move.
• Close the lid with screws only. No glue — the collector has to open it.
• Write UNSCREW THIS SIDE ONLY on the lid.
• A cabinet handle on top makes it easier to carry. The screws should hold the handle but not reach into the crate.

Singulart adds a layer of foam inside the lid, without pressing on the work when it closes.

If building a crate yourself is not practical, a specialist can do it; Singulart's guide says the same. As the last note set out, for large works or wooden crating it is easier to use one agent that handles crating, transport and customs together.

Large canvases: take them off the stretcher and roll them

A canvas can come off its stretcher bars and travel rolled in a tube. Saatchi allows this up to 72×72 in; Singulart describes it for paintings over 150×150cm. Both give a tube diameter of 20–30cm (8–12 in).

1. Sandwich the canvas between two sheets of acid-free paper, covering it completely.
2. Roll it around a narrower inner tube, paint side outward. Rolled the other way, the paint can crack. Do not roll it tightly.
3. Wrap one layer of bubble wrap around it and seal it with tape.
4. Slide it into the outer tube, fill the ends with bubble wrap without crushing the edges of the canvas, then fit and tape the end caps.
5. Attach the label and mark the tube FRAGILE.

Singulart notes that tubes bend easily in transit, recommends three tubes (two inner, one outer), and suggests PVC pipe from a hardware store for large works.

And, again, roll it only when the paint is completely dry.

Framed works and glass: take the glass out and pack it separately

If the frame has glass or acrylic, remove it and pack it on its own (Saatchi).

• Put two strips of painter's tape across the glass in an X. If it breaks, the pieces stay together.
• Sandwich it between two foam boards about 2 in (5cm) larger on every side and tape it shut.
• Wrap that in bubble wrap and pack it in the same box or crate as the frame.

Wrap the framed work in three layers of bubble wrap. Over 18×24 in (46×61cm), it goes in a crate. Smaller, it goes in a sturdy cardboard box with every gap filled with shredded paper.

Works on paper: drawings, watercolours, photographs, collage

The order is the same as for paintings, with these differences.

• Photographs, pastels and drawings go in glassine (Singulart).
• Under 48 in: corner pockets, foam board, plastic, a foam board sandwich with extra tape on the corners, then a box (Saatchi).
• 48 in or more: a crate.
• They can also be rolled. Saatchi describes sending sketches, photographs and watercolours in an 8–12 in tube; Singulart shows how to fold a triangular tube from cardboard.

Packing sculpture: 30cm is the line

Sculpture varies so much in size, weight and shape that both platforms call their instructions general guidance and ask artists to contact them when in doubt.

Box or crate is decided at 30cm tall.

The order:

1. Wrap the top half in bubble wrap several times, with extra around thin or projecting parts.
2. Wrap the bottom half so that it overlaps the top in the middle, and tape that seam.
3. Fill about a third of the box with shredded paper, make a shallow hollow in the centre and set the sculpture in it (Saatchi). Singulart lines the bottom and sides with foam.
4. Fill the rest so nothing moves. Weight compresses the bottom, so put more padding underneath.
5. Make a box 2–3 in (5–8cm) larger than the sculpture on every side, a crate 3–4 in (8–10cm).
6. Write THIS SIDE UP with an upward arrow on every side. On a crate, mark the lid UNSCREW THIS SIDE ONLY.
7. Attach the label and write FRAGILE in large letters.

Why photograph the packed work: insurance and shipping charges

Both platforms ask for photographs of the finished package.

Saatchi Art asks that the photos clearly show:

• the finished package with the shipping label attached
• its length, width and height, with a ruler against it
• the packing materials and overall condition

Without these, Saatchi cannot dispute a carrier's oversize charge, and the charge may be recovered from the artist's commission.

Singulart asks for the photos for insurance. The label and the measurements must both be visible.

On insurance: Saatchi Art insures every shipment for the artist's share. A work sold for $1,000 earns the artist $600; if it arrives damaged despite being packed to the guidelines, Saatchi still pays the artist that $600.

If the packing did not follow the guidelines, the shipment is treated as uninsurable. The artist is held responsible, the collector gets a full refund, and if the damage is so bad that carriers will not take the work back, it may be discarded.

Following the guide is how the artist stays covered.

Put the packing cost into the price

Saatchi Art suggests estimating packing costs generously when you list and price a work. The collector pays for shipping; the artist pays for packing. A size that needs a crate costs far more in materials and time.

Saatchi also asks artists to put a Certificate of Authenticity inside the package. The template is in the sales dashboard.

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Next: getting paid. PayPal, virtual accounts, and direct transfer to a Korean bank — how they differ, and how much actually reaches you.