You must have heard that crating artwork is of great importance when it comes to transportation. Certainly, inside a custom-made shipping crate, an art piece can be safely delivered to a new location, especially if the crate is made of quality wood or plywood and combined with other packing materials.
At Fine Art Shippers, we have 27 years of experience transporting valuable items and works of art. That is why we would like to dispel one myth about crating: not all works of art need to be crated prior to shipment, provided that they are shipped by specialized art shuttles and handled by professional art handlers. Here are some of our recommendations for different types of artworks.
Crating Artwork for Shipping – Necessary or Not?
As mentioned above, not all artworks need to be crated. For example, most drawings and paintings can be easily shipped without crates. Art plastic, glassine paper, kraft bubble, foam, cardboard, and protective corners will keep the items safe in transit.
Pieces of furniture, even antique, can be shipped without crates too. The only exception is furniture made of glass, marble, or other fragile materials. In other cases, wooden crates only make the object much heavier, larger, and more complicated to handle, which results in higher costs of transportation.
Now, let’s answer the question of when crating artwork is essential. In general, we recommend crating services when our customers need to transport highly delicate or oddly shaped objects. Crating is also required when it comes to international shipment. Almost all items going overseas need to be crated in wood to ensure they can withstand the rigors of air or sea transportation. You will also want a crate when shipping artwork by a regular courier service like FedEx or UPS since such carriers don’t usually treat art the way it deserves.
Paintings in ornate frames may also require crating, especially if you are going to ship your artwork over a long distance. They can be shipped in custom-built painting crates or T-frames that are good for interstate transportation.
It is always easier to decide which type of artwork should be crated with the help of professionals. The Fine Art Shippers team will be happy to answer any questions you might have about packing and crating artwork, so do not hesitate to reach out to us whenever needed.