High-quality art crating is key to safe and secure transportation of fragile objects, so it’s worth knowing the science behind it. In this blog post, you will learn about why custom-designed art crates are necessary and how Fine Art Shippers approaches this aspect of the job.
Why is Custom Art Crating Important?
Today, art travels across borders like never before. Works of art circulate around the globe to be shown at art fairs, exhibitions, and biennials; they are auctioned off and exchanged between collectors. It’s fair to say that the modern art industry wouldn’t be possible without professional art shipping services that ensure the safe transport of multi-million dollar artworks. And yet, even at established and prestigious institutions, art objects occasionally break during shipping. This leads not only to enormous financial losses and higher insurance costs but also reputational damage, which becomes an obstacle to getting shows.
The reason for these mishaps is the wrong choice of art crates – custom-designed boxes used for transporting art, antiques, and other delicate items. They are also used for storing artwork safely when not on display. High-quality art crates are made manually in strict compliance with international transportation requirements and provide maximum protection from:
- shocks and vibrations
- moisture and humidity
- damage during handling operations
- theft, loss, or pilferage.
The Craftsmanship and Science of Crating
Since art crates are made by hand, craftsmanship is paramount. And this is where Fine Art Shippers excels: Our specialists are skilled in carpentry and woodworking and have ample experience handling fragile, valuable artworks of all types, textures, and shapes. They combine their extensive knowledge with sophisticated technologies to develop the safest transportation solutions for your needs.
Crates are made to fit the artwork and the client’s exact requirements. They have a higher level of protection to withstand the hazards of long-distance transportation. Art crates are weatherproof and maintain a constant temperature. Equipped with closure panels, rubber gasket insulation and polyacrylic coating, they provide cushioning and stability for artwork during transport. They also have integrated handles for safe and easy lifting, and stand on skids above the ground to allow lifting equipment to slide beneath for easy access.
Crate interiors are customized for a wide range of packaging and storage applications. When designing a crate, we take into account the type of the object, its age and condition, climate, humidity and temperature conditions at departure, during travel, and at the destination, as well as shock and vibration effects during handling, storage and transportation. To ensure optimal stability of fragile three-dimensional works in transit, we use interior support blocks, cushions, straps, and bracing made of abrasion-resistant materials.
Art crating is truly an art and science combined, and we keep perfecting both aspects of it to offer impeccable service to our clients. Want to ship artworks safely across the United States or worldwide? Contact us to find out more about custom crates for your specific needs.