Posting frames

Get help and framing advice from the framing community
Post Reply
topcat
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu 23 May, 2013 11:21 am
Location: Lancaster/Morecambe
Organisation: Bay Framing
Interests: Picture Framing
Football
Music
Location: Lancaster

Posting frames

Post by topcat »

I have a new customer who is looking into expanding their business by offering a postage option. The frames would be up to 20" x 16" in a variety of mouldings.

How do any of you package and post your frames out to avoid breakages and for a reasonable cost?

Thanks. TC
User avatar
prospero
Posts: 11554
Joined: Tue 05 Jun, 2007 4:16 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Posting frames

Post by prospero »

Minimum. Wrap with at least two layers of bubble wrap and cover both sides with 2.5mm MDF. Handywrap it all together and cover with brown paper. Barring a size nine in the middle, that will get though 99% of the time.

You can go one step further by making a wooden box. You need some very cheap wood such as roofing batten. Mitre and join three sides and staple MDF to both sides. Bubblewrap the picture and slip in the open end so it's nice and snug. Then put in the last side and staple. Again, wrap with brown paper.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
User avatar
Steve N
Posts: 2992
Joined: Sat 21 Jul, 2007 2:32 pm
Location: Somewhere Staple Hill Bristol
Organisation: Frontier Picture Frames ltd
Interests: Walking our retired Greyhound,art, falling asleep on sofa in front of the telly
Location: Now in Bristol
Contact:

Re: Posting frames

Post by Steve N »

Packaging materials and the time to pack the frame would most probably cost more than the frame :head:

I tend to send mine by FedEx, or Parcel Force, and don't forget you will most probably not be able to get insurance as you are sending glass, most carriers don't want to know

I put stickers on the package with THIS WAY UP so the parcel has to be stood up not laid down flat on a pallet, then they can not plonk a oil drum on it or something heavy on the frame

Oh and don't forget to charge the customer for Postage AND PACKING
Steve CEO GCF (020)
Believed in Time Travel since 2035

Proud to sell Ready Made Frames
http://www.frontierpictureframes.com
http://www.designerpicturemounts.com/
Chris_h
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun 08 Jan, 2012 5:15 pm
Location: Norfolk
Organisation: www.TheUKLandscape.com
Interests: Photography, Football, F1, printing & framing www.Photographyprinting.co.uk
Contact:

Re: Posting frames

Post by Chris_h »

I do the same as Prospero, lots of bubble wrap and handywrap, I also protect the corners and moulding with large mountboard offcuts, I then shove more offcuts of mountboard or mdf over the glass area, tape these down and then wrap with bubble wrap again to hold it all in place. (using the scraps also gets rid of a lot of my waste). I then finish with two large bits of mdf on the outside and tape these together.

I send quite a few large glass framed images out each week and since I started packaging them like this I have not had one breakage in around 18 months.

The only problem with this method is it does take time.
topcat
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu 23 May, 2013 11:21 am
Location: Lancaster/Morecambe
Organisation: Bay Framing
Interests: Picture Framing
Football
Music
Location: Lancaster

Re: Posting frames

Post by topcat »

Thank you all for the suggestions, some good advice. I think a couple of trial runs are in order.
Kwik Picture Framing
Posts: 618
Joined: Tue 23 Jul, 2013 8:56 am
Location: Bradford
Organisation: Kwik Picture Framing
Interests: Picture framing
Making just that little bit of difference to someone, somewhere.
Location: West Yorkshire

Re: Posting frames

Post by Kwik Picture Framing »

Cheapest way to post picture frames is using corrugated cardboard rolls and use perspex front, better than glass when it comes to posting
Graysalchemy

Re: Posting frames

Post by Graysalchemy »

I agree with the above though I wrap in bubble wrap and a piece of mdf top and bottom an inch or so larger then put rolls of corrugated card (from moulding bundles) around the edge, the wrap in tape/ Brown paper etc.

I also make boxes out of 18mm mdf strips for the sides lap jointed screwed and glued and 6mm top and bottom. Then wrap the frame in bubble wrap and place in box wedging again with rolls of corrugated card.

I have sent valuable oil paintings this way and a large mirror down to London. All arrived in one piece.

One other point to make is that if you are making frames with glass and they are only secured with flexi points ie so the customer can put in pictures then I have found a lot of the times the glass comes loose as flexi tabs are not secure enough. I use the semi flexi points from an omer gun which seem to do the trick stong enough not to flex in transit but flexible enough for the end user to prise open.
Post Reply