Painting Crate Options
Some important questions one might want to ask their client before determining how to appropriately protect a painting:
• In what medium has this artwork been made? E.g. charcoal, acrylic, oil etc
• How old is this artwork? – will give you some idea of how stable the artwork is and how it can be packed. Some mediums take much longer to cure than others.
• Do you have any experience in moving this artwork before? The client may have some prior experience in protecting it or knowing its weak points.
• What are you main concerns in the packing/transporting of this artwork? This may help tailor the appropriate crating to the degree of the owner’s concern.
• Approximate value? This will give better understanding of the lengths necessary for reducing risks of damage.
One can always do more to reduce the risk of damage to artworks through more sophisticated crating. When in doubt, it is always safer to allow for higher levels of crating. Understanding the artworks, experience and good communication will help us give you a better balance of minimising risk of damage and minimising cost of crating protection.
Acid-free glassine paper wrapping, packed inside a crate
Glassine paper is a thin, dense, transparent or semi-transparent paper highly resistant to the passage of air and grease. For fragile paintings, especially oil paintings, one method is to put a piece of acid-free glassine paper on top of the painted part of the canvas, wrap the painting with bubble wrap, then put two pieces of foam or cardboard on the top and bottom of the canvas, and wrap another layer of bubble wrap around the painting. Make sure the painting fits snugly into its crate. Do not use packing peanuts.
One artwork in each crate - If you want your paintings to have the best chance for longevity, put each painting into its own packing crate. This eliminates the opportunity for surface contact, assuring a greater chance that the artwork will arrive without impairment. Of course, this is also the most expensive means of packing and transport, but may be a necessary compromise to ensure the artworks are unable to damage each other.
Consolidating artworks - Careful planning and packing will increase the possibility of consolidating multiple artworks into less crates.
Slot Crate - The best shipping method is one where nothing is allowed to touch the surface of the work. This way only the very top and bottom 3cm of the artwork will make contact with a slippery polyethylene foam. It means no further packing techniques are required by the packer, other than to slide the artwork into the crate. A light glassine paper covering can be helpful against any dust. This can be used for one artwork in its own crate, or where there are multiple artworks consolidated in one crate. Other than oil paintings, this can be useful for mixed media artworks with heavily textured surfaces.
Rebul has vast experience in crating all types of artworks for museums, galleries, artists and removals companies. If you wish to use the most proven ways to prevent damage to paintings, allow us work with you in figuring this out. Wherever practical we will consolidate artworks into less crates. Our priority for you is cost effective crating protection.
Painting Crate for Travelling Exhibition
