How to ship your art the easy way
It’s a wonderful feeling to sell a piece of artwork. But if the buyer doesn’t live locally, then comes the daunting task of shipping it to your customer.
First of all, you and your customer should have already decided who is going to pay for the shipment. Normally it is the customer who pays for the shipment, but it is a nice gesture if you pay half of the fee yourself.
Search online for your local shipping companies. Every country has their own specialised shipping companies. Before you contact the company make sure that you know what is the weight and size of your work is that you will be shipping. You must have the addresses at hand where the art work is coming from and where it is going to. Select several shipping companies and ask the following questions.
- What will it cost to send this art work
- Are there any size restrictions
- Do you have ready made standard boxes or are they made to measure.
- What are your handling charges
- Do I deliver the art work to the shipping company or is it collected.
- If I have to deliver it, what do I use to package my art work in
- How long does will the shipment take
- Can I track the shipment online
- How does Insurance work and what does it cost
- If it occurs how do handle damage or loss
On the basis of the answers that they give, you can make a decision and proceed.
Tips before sending off you art work
Make sure it’s dry
If you art work is on canvas, make sure that it is thoroughly dry before wrapping it up and sending it. This includes the varnish layer. It would be a great shame if you customer unpacked the art work and found that the packaging had stuck to the work.
Personal touch and follow up
It’s always a nice touch to include a handwritten note and your business card. It gives the shipment a personal touch and who knows, your customer might return to buy another piece of your artwork in the future. When the shipment has arrived at it’s destination you could contact the buyer to make sure that everything is ok.
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No guarantees
Nobody can guarantee that a shipping company can deliver your artwork safely, there is always an exception. The information in this article unfortunately cannot guarantee that your work will arrive safely, but it should certainly improve your chances.
We hope that this information will help you with your next shipment.
Best creative wishes,
Jean and Jocelyn