Safely transporting artwork can be a tricky task. That’s because any change in its constitution can affect its appearance, quality and price. For instance, sensitive oils can heat up and smudge or get torn due to poor handling. In other cases, the artwork might be stolen during transit. For these reasons, it is essential to generate a precise plan for shipping artwork.
When creating a plan for shipping your artwork, it is crucial to consider its characteristics. Of course, pieces of art vary in material, designs and nature. That means the mode of transport will vary from one piece to the other. However, any type of art is fragile – so ensure you come with a methodical plan that works for the piece you are shipping.
Hire a Professional Mover
Hiring a professional mover is one of the easiest ways to ensure your artwork’s safety while in transit. There are tons of professional moving companies in the market today. While some handle general stuff, such as furniture, others specialize in moving artwork and other valuable items.
It is advisable to hire a professional moving company that specializes in artwork to ensure the safety of your artwork while in transit. Unlike regular movers, these experts understand the ins and outs of moving delicate items. From packing to and loading into the transport vessel, such a moving company will make your work much easier.
Although it is an excellent idea to let an expert handle the shipping of your artwork, there are some cases where it makes more sense to move it yourself. In such a case, you need to invest time and effort in packing your artwork. You can purchase a box or for irregular packages. If you are dealing with a delicate piece, ensure you bubble wrap it before placing it in a box.
Do Not Stack
When loading up your art boxes, never stack them on top of each other, regardless of how sturdy the box might feel. During transit, there are lots of things that can go wrong on the road. If the boxes are stacked on top of each other, it doubles the risk of damage. So, make sure you use a transport vessel that gives you enough room to place the boxes independently.
You should also consider using boxes with labels such as ‘Fragile’ and ‘Do Not Stack.’ These labels help warn the movers, ensuring they handle the box with extra care. That includes being carried by hand (forklifts can increase the risk of damaging fragile items).
Choose the Right Boxes
Choosing the correct box for your artwork is another crucial step towards ensuring they are safe during transit. Most people might choose to use any old box, used to package other items. While that might work, it increases the risk of damaging the artwork.
Box picking is a critical step for individuals shipping paintings. These pieces of art should be transported in special boxes known as (also picture boxes). While they might look like regular boxes on the outside, mirror boxes come with multiple sections, separated by cardboards.
You can manipulate the sections to reinforce the corners where the artwork will rest. When dealing with a painting, these boxes can help protect the corners from damage. They also ‘hug’ the piece tightly, reducing movements that could cause damage while in transit.
Assign Someone to Oversee the Transportation
Although it is rare, valuable artwork might get misplaced or stolen during transit. So, if you want to ensure your artwork’s safety during transit, you might want to assign someone to look after it.
In most cases, a professional mover is the best bet for ensuring your is not misplaced or stolen along the way. However, if that is not an option you can consider, make sure you have someone accompanying the box from the loading spot to its destination.
Final Thoughts
Shipping artwork from one point to another can be relatively challenging. From the risk of theft to possible damages, there are lots of things to consider when transporting artwork. Luckily, you can do a few things to ensure your piece is safe while in transit.
The first step toward safe shipping of art is proper packing. Choose the right boxes and ensure they are adequately labelled. It would help if you also considered assigning someone to watch the boxes from the point of origin to the destination to minimize the risk of misplacement or theft.
The post appeared first on .