If you are planning on moving your works of art to a new space or new home, your collection will have to be transported. But the big question is, how do you pack artwork for moving? Well, precaution is better than cure.
Be it gigantic paintings or medium-height murals; there are safety measures to ensure they survive their journey in perfect condition. So dig into this article and read up on preparing your works of art for transport!
How to Pack Artwork for Moving: Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is a magical material for protecting anything that is fragile or can be easily damaged, making it an excellent option for packing artwork for moving. Your artworks are priceless possessions you don't wish to harm, even in your wildest dreams. Packing artwork for moving with bubble wrap is one of the safest options because it creates a cushioned layer around the objects.
Bubble wraps come at reasonable prices and don't cost hefty amounts of money, making them a cost-effective option for packing your works of art. The amount of wrap you will need to pack a painting reproduction or sculpture is determined by their dimensions. It should appropriately fit your entire item in all measurements, horizontally and vertically.
It is as simple as just putting bubble wrap around paintings, but you will need to seal them with the help of tape. Make the taping around the bubble wrap firm and tight, so it doesn't lose hold of the artwork easily. Nevertheless, bubble wrap is an easy enough material to use if you don't know how to pack artwork for moving.
How to Pack Artwork for Moving: Plastic Wrap
Paintings are incredibly delicate and require proper handling; that's why museums and art galleries don't allow you to touch fine pieces on display. This is considered by specialists one of the main reasons why storing and transporting artwork ideally requires the use of plastic wrap.
Plastic wrap enhances moving art pieces conveniently because it covers three essential aspects of this, at times, scary procedure: preservation, presentation, and efficiency. Plastic wrap acts as a non-permeable layer around your artwork that in no way allows foreign particles to cling to the canvas and dull the paints.
Instead, it entraps moisture and keeps the paint layer firm, just like its original form. With proper usage of plastic wraps, you need not stress about water spills or rains that can directly spoil your artwork.
Plastic wrap is also used for the long-term storage of highly valued and famous portraits. Besides protection, plastic wrap is classy and gives your art piece a professional presentation as if it's brand new.
How to Pack Artwork for Moving: Parchment Paper
If you're moving portrait paintings, you'll need to be more mindful of scratches, because they can be difficult to repair. Portrait paintings are usually done on canvas which is more susceptible to scratches than other surfaces. For example, if you are moving a self-portrait of Van Gogh you need to be more careful and take precautions to protect it from any damage during the move because of its delicate color palette. You need to make sure that the artwork is properly wrapped and packed to prevent any scratches or tears.
Parchment paper is an economically friendly option to wrap up framed paintings and other artworks. However, even if you apply bubble wrap for protection around your artwork, you still need to figure out the first protective layering of your prized piece.
Before putting your artwork directly into the moving box, you need to add another covering of thin protection, just like parchment paper. It keeps the surface free from dust, insects, scratches, and moving mishaps.
How to Pack Artwork for Moving: Shipping Tape
The most wondrous invention amongst the stationery items is the shipping tape. This tool alone can solve maximum problems when moving objects from one place to another as shipping tape is resilient, durable, and ensures neatness while packing.
Nowadays, many companies and art galleries use their customized shipping tapes for brand promotion. It becomes easier for you to identify and create a positive unboxing experience with handcrafted shipping tapes. Shipping tape is strong and durable, making it ideal for protecting artwork from damage during a move.
Here are some tips for using shipping tape when packing artwork for a move:
- Choose the right type of shipping tape. There are two main types of shipping tape: acrylic and polypropylene. Acrylic shipping tape is best for artwork that needs extra protection, while polypropylene shipping tape is best for lighter items.
- Secure the bubble wrap with shipping tape. Once the artwork is completely covered in bubble wrap, use shipping tape to secure the bubble wrap in place. Make sure to use long pieces of tape so that the artwork is securely wrapped.
How to Pack Artwork for Moving: Moving Box
Picking the right moving boxes before even packing anything is the key to successfully moving your artwork. There might be plenty of paintings that vary in shape, size, length, width, and height. You cannot arrange the miniature artworks in huge boxes while the big art pieces fail to adjust in shallow containers.
When you are on the verge of relocating, it's the human tendency of the brain to keep adjusting things from one place to another. Hence, you will try to put many artworks in one box. However, it will pay off to avoid any shortcuts and time-saving methods. It simply takes time to pack everything correctly and with enough room.
Make sure to spend enough time finding the correctly sized boxes for your painting, statue, and prints. For small artwork, you can pick artwork boxes or mirror boxes. However, it is recommendable to opt for wooden crates if you are planning on transporting large-sized paintings. Apart from choosing the safest package, you need to make sure to cushion everything inside properly.
Professional Movers Know How to Pack Artwork for Moving
Since moving is a cumbersome and time-consuming process, you might want to consider reaching out to professional movers with expertise in the business and how to pack artwork for moving. Professional movers arrange everything in advance, from providing shipping supplies to heavy boxes. They keep it all locked and loaded.
Above all, it is their responsibility to safeguard all your artworks and possessions from being shifted from one place to another. Especially for long-distance moving, when there are multiple stoppages along the way, you cannot just leave your loaded vehicles anywhere. Movers have contacts and storehouses in different parts of the cities to store your valuables.
As far as security is concerned, it has never been easier to track the activity of movers with real-time location features and active GPS settings. In case of doubts, you can check their location at any time.
Professional movers provide a safe and sound journey of your valuable art pieces such as Gustav Klimt's "Apple Tree I" with its complicated color palette, even for long-distance moving. Some top-notch professional movers offer insurance facilities for your items. You can claim the entitled price if your artworks suffer any damages due to moving.
How to Pack Artwork for Moving: The "Don'ts" of Packing
In order to better learn how to pack artwork for moving, it's useful to go through what to avoid when moving art pieces. There can be quite the hustle and bustle when it comes to packing, moving, and lifting art pieces; so many things to organize, categorize and plan. It often gets very late when we know these weren't the things that should not have been done in the first place. Here are some don'ts that will save you some headaches!
To begin with, don't start packing artwork for moving anywhere in your home. Instead, find yourself a neat, clean corner that offers a plane surface. Areas with a tilt or slant will always keep you in awe of danger; what if the artwork slips? Next, find yourself the best room with a decent place to keep and manage your paintings to avoid such mishaps.
After that, don't just lay your canvas directly on the ground or tabletop. Instead, apply a firm layer of cushion, bubble wrap, or cover it with newspaper below the surface. These little things make a difference and avoid unwanted losses when moving art pieces.
Multiple Artworks In One Box
A thousand reasons will force you to arrange multiple artworks in one box, one over the other. But you have to bear in mind to avoid doing this. Otherwise, your paintings will likely get scratched, torn, punctured, and bear damages that can't be fixed. So, instead, get multiple boxes for storing your art pieces and take proper care of them.
Putting multiple artworks in one box can also create friction between the compactly arranged paintings. This condition gets worse when the transportation vehicle is driving over a road full of bumps and hurdles along the way. There are high chances of colliding, cracking, and eventually breaking.
Once your artwork is damaged or cracked, there is no chance you can bring it back to its original form. Also, we all know that we can easily misplace objects during the extenuating moving process, so by having multiple artworks in the same box, you'll make sure they will easily be found when it's time to hang them up.
In The Newspaper
The old-school technique to protect canvas is piling them up using newspapers. Newspapers are the most cost-effective and easy-to-find alternative for wrapping materials. You don't have to rush to markets to buy them, and plenty of old newspapers are lying in your house.
There is no need for you to pay hefty amounts for newspapers. Even if you are an e-newspaper buff, you can get a pile of it from your neighbors or trash collectors. Thus, packing artwork for moving using newspapers is an excellent option for someone on a tighter budget.
You can single or do double-wrap our art pieces to assure maximum safety from unwanted spills. The paint on the custom portrait canvas remains intact and fears no damage when thoroughly wrapped up. You need to apply proper adhesive to prevent the newspaper from getting torn easily. You can even use thread to fasten the paper around your canvases.
Laying Other Items in the Canvas Box
When you are in go mode and something unforeseen messes up your schedule, one is likely to make unreasonable decisions, just like laying other items on your canvas box. You understand that artworks and paintings are very fragile when handling them. Yet, you sometimes unknowingly put some small showpiece or other objects on it to efficiently use the space left in the box.
This addition of extra pieces into your box containing canvases should be avoided. Or you will have to deal with the consequences like heavy damage and destruction of your treasured artworks. Even if they are bubble-wrapped and seal packed, such a mistake should be avoided and cross-checked before sending it to the moving vehicle.
Conclusion
These days moving anything has become so much more convenient than it used to in the past. Now, even if you didn't know how to pack artwork properly, with these tips, you'll be able to move smoothly and without any irreversible damage to your art. It's just proper planning and a wise layout that will help you in the moving process. And remember: lift with your legs, not with your back!