Packing and delivering large prints
Most damage to large prints comes from the journey, not the printer. The way a print is packed depends on one question: can it be rolled?
Rolled or flat.
| Item | Usually sent | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Paper posters and photo prints | Rolled in a tube | Crushed ends and creases |
| PVC banners and fabric | Rolled or folded, depending on the material | Fold marks in some materials |
| Vinyl and Phototex | Rolled | Tight curl and dents |
| Mounted boards | Flat, with corners protected | Corner knocks and surface scratches |
| Stretched canvas | Flat, in card | A dent in the face from a pressed corner |
| Framed work with glass | Ask us first | Breakage |
Tell us where the print is going when you ask for a price. It is far better to plan for a route at the beginning than to find out that a panel will not go through a door. See poster or mounted board if you are still deciding.
The paper weight trick.
Paper weight is measured in grams per square metre, and an A0 sheet is one square metre. So an A0 print on 135gsm paper weighs about 135g, and one on 190gsm about 190g. Two or three posters can fit within a light postage band, though the tube and packing count too, and a long tube may need a different service. Boards, frames and rolls of PVC are a very different matter, and they generally need a courier.
| Destination | 1g to 500g | 501g to 1000g | 1001g to 2000g |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK First Class | £6.50 | £8.99 | £12.99 |
| Rest of Europe | £6.60 | £8.50 | £9.50 |
| Rest of World | £8.30 | £8.99 | £9.99 |
| Service | Each order |
|---|---|
| UK overnight courier, next working day | from £20 |
| UK Special Delivery, by 1pm next working day | £25 |
| Rest of Europe, FedEx International Priority | from £34.99 depending on weight |
| Rest of world, FedEx International Priority | from £49.99 depending on weight |
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Sending abroad? Duties, tax and paperwork vary by country, and our guide to ordering prints for delivery abroad covers the questions to ask.
When it arrives.
- Check the outside of the package before you sign. Photograph any damage.
- Open it indoors on a clean, dry surface. Avoid using a blade that could reach into the tube or the box.
- Pull rolled prints out gently, without twisting them.
- Let a rolled print relax, lying flat with light, clean weights at the corners, for a few hours or overnight.
- Handle everything by the edges, with clean, dry hands. Thin cotton gloves help with dark prints.
- Tell us promptly if anything is wrong, with photographs.
If you are carrying it yourself.
A rolled print goes behind the seats, not under anything. Boards travel on their long edge, with card between each face. Never leave prints in a hot car, as heat can soften some laminates and curl paper. Allow time too. If the print is for an event with a hard deadline, read planning print deadlines so that delivery does not become the weak link.
Handling finished prints.
Your questions.
Why has my print arrived curled?
That is normal after being rolled. Lay it flat with light weights on the corners, or roll it gently the other way for a short time.
Can several prints go in one tube?
Usually, as long as they are the same width or nearly so, with tissue or paper between surfaces that could mark.
Can a very large board be sent by courier?
Tell us the size. Big panels may need a different service from a standard parcel, and access at the other end matters too.