Shipping Large Prints

[Fenrir Enterprises]

Anyone have any recommendations for shipping 13 x 19 photos/prints? I see mixed opinions all over the place on the dpreview forums; use tubes, don't use tubes due to curl, giant envelopes are fine, giant envelopes get all bent up in the system, etc.

Currently I have mostly Red River papers, Arctic Polar Matte, Satin, Gloss, and Paper Canvas, as well as Kodak 11 x 17 Glossy.

 

[fotofreek]

The red river boxes are very sturdy. they ship their paper very successfully without damage. Maybe there is a source for them.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

The problem is shipping that size a box is way too expensive for someone who just wants to buy just a few copies. It's great for shipping 150 sheets in 50-ct packages, not so much for just five sheets.

Just curious as to whether anyone has had any actual success with either the "giant envelope the post office probably wishes you wouldn't use" or the "roll it up and risk damaging it" methods.

 

[The Hat]

The only way to send large prints economically are in tubes, yes they are curled when they arrive
but they are also safe and undamaged.

Roll them back on themselves and held that way for an hour with an elastic band
will remove almost all of the curl..

 

[thanhhuy123]

Can we iron them to make it flat?

 

[lowell374]

Can we iron them to make it flat?

Steam Iron them? Paper needs some moisture. But, as is obvious, not too much.
the-hat is absolutely correct. Tubes are the only way to fully protect flats. Your clients will have to learn to re-roll them. Perhaps an instruction sheet in closed within the tube?
IMHO never ship a print flat, unless it is crated.
Talk to any museum or gallery.

 

[turbguy]

Can we iron them to make it flat?

If you have access to a dry mount press (I own a Seal 220, which will do something like 22" x 28"), getting rid of the curl is trivial....unless it's been matted and/or framed!