Artist Resource
How to Package & Ship Your Artwork
Original paintings and sculptures are dispatched directly by you, the artist — GalleryTwentyOne does not print or fulfil these. This guide shows you how to pack a sold piece so it arrives with your collector in the condition you made it.
Shipping is your responsibility
Postage and packaging for original paintings and sculptures are the artist's responsibility — these costs are absorbed from your sale price, not added to the collector's total. Print editions are fulfilled and shipped by the gallery's print partner, so this guide applies only to originals and sculptures.
Quick Tips
Never let glassine touch a painted surface
Glassine is for paper prints and drawings — on paintings it can stick or leave a residue.
Corner protectors before bubble wrap
Rigid cardboard corners absorb impacts where frames are most vulnerable.
Double-box sculptures
An inner box suspended in packing peanuts inside an outer box survives almost anything.
Seal every seam with packing tape
Moisture and dust enter through unsealed edges — tape all the way around.
Insure for the full sale price
Declare the artwork's value — standard courier cover is rarely enough for fine art.
Photograph the packed piece
A photo of the wrapped work before the box closes is your proof if a claim is needed.
Full Guides
- 01Glassine paper — acid-free, smooth interleaving for paper prints and drawings (not for painted surfaces).
- 02Bubble wrap — small-bubble for the first layer against the work, large-bubble for the outer cushion.
- 03Rigid cardboard corner protectors — four per framed work; they guard the most impact-prone points.
- 04Foam board or corrugated sheets — cut to size as rigid backing for unframed paper works.
- 05Double-walled cardboard boxes — choose a box 5–8cm larger than the artwork on every side for cushioning.
- 06Packing peanuts or crumpled kraft paper — void fill that stops the inner box shifting inside the outer.
- 07Fragile tape and a 'THIS WAY UP' label — make handling instructions impossible to miss.
Do
- Use acid-free glassine for paper works
- Match the box to the work with 5–8cm clearance
- Keep a stock of corner protectors and bubble wrap
Don't
- Reuse a soft or dented box
- Let bubble wrap touch a raw painted surface
- Pack without measuring the box clearance first
Always insure for the full sale value
Standard courier liability rarely covers the value of an original. Declare the full sale price and purchase extended cover — and email the tracking number to hello@gallerytwentyone.com once you've dispatched so we can confirm safe arrival with your collector.