Art Shipping Services | Custom Crating

Artwork should be wrapped in archival materials like glassine and bubble wrap, then placed in a properly sized box or custom wooden crate with foam padding to prevent movement. At ShipMate+, our professional packers handle this entire process in-store. We then compare FedEx, UPS, and USPS to select the carrier best suited to your piece's size, value, and destination — domestic or international.

The safest way to ship a painting is with a custom-built crate designed to its exact dimensions. For smaller framed works, a double-walled specialty art box with interior foam bracing offers strong protection. Canvases should be covered with glassine to protect the surface, then wrapped in bubble wrap. Our team at ShipMate+ builds custom crates and professionally packs paintings every day to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.

Custom crating means building a wooden enclosure precisely sized to your artwork's dimensions, with interior padding and bracing designed to prevent any movement or impact during shipping. It's recommended for large canvases, sculptures, framed glass works, and high-value pieces. If your art is irreplaceable or particularly fragile, a custom crate provides a level of protection that standard boxes simply cannot match.

Yes. ShipMate+ handles international art shipments to over 200 countries via FedEx International, UPS Worldwide, and USPS International. We manage customs documentation including Commercial Invoices and Electronic Export Information forms, advise on any country-specific restrictions for artwork, and compare carrier rates to ensure your piece arrives on time and in compliance with all import and export requirements.

Costs depend on your artwork's dimensions, weight, destination, fragility, and the level of packaging required. Custom crating involves materials and labor priced per build, while shipping rates vary by carrier and service level. We recommend bringing your piece — or its measurements — into our Vista, CA store for a free, no-obligation quote that covers both crating and shipping together.

Items professionally packed in-store at ShipMate+ qualify for carrier insurance coverage, which is a key advantage of using our packing services. Carrier liability and declared value coverage options are available through FedEx, UPS, and USPS. We'll walk you through the coverage options for your specific shipment so you can choose the protection level that matches your artwork's value.

Absolutely. Oversized sculptures, installations, and multi-piece collections that exceed standard parcel carrier limits are handled through our freight shipping network, which includes access to over 40 LTL, air cargo, and sea container carriers. We coordinate custom crating, carrier selection, and full logistics management for large-format art pieces to ensure safe, professionally handled transit from our Vista location to the destination.

We use archival-quality glassine to protect surfaces, multi-layer bubble wrap for cushioning, foam sheets and custom-cut foam inserts for interior bracing, corner protectors for frames, and double-walled or custom-cut corrugated boxes. For high-value or fragile works, we construct custom wooden crates with internal foam lining. All materials are selected to meet carrier insurability standards and protect against impact, vibration, and moisture.