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Manly Pitcher

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i usually take digital commissions but was recently asked for a print and I had no idea how to guarantee it won't be bent or get soggy in transit.

It's likely going to be 8x10 and flat.

Any cost effective suggestions?

Thanks

Gracious Abductee

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For an 8x10 you can get a bubble mailer, it's usually yellow or white and lined with bubble wrap to keep what's inside a little safer. If you're worried about it getting wet you can always put it in binder sheet protector before putting it inside the mailer. For the bending issue when I have to mail photos out for work I put pieces of cardboard in the envelope as well, one on top and bottom, and also writing "Do not bend" on the envelop helps.

Hygienic Dabbler

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Pretty much echoing the above poster here.

You can get those plastic sleeves for prints and then support it with a piece of thin cardboard and put all that in an envelope with a "do not bend" sticker on it.

This is what my dad does for his 8 x 10 photo prints that he mails out.

Fashionable Noob

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Get insurance when you mail it. I have never had a wet package ever, so that's not common- most packages are paper/cardboard remember. Just mail it in an envelope or box that can't bend. You can put extra cardboard in the package or mount the print on something very firm.

Manly Pitcher

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Sapphire-Youn
For an 8x10 you can get a bubble mailer, it's usually yellow or white and lined with bubble wrap to keep what's inside a little safer. If you're worried about it getting wet you can always put it in binder sheet protector before putting it inside the mailer. For the bending issue when I have to mail photos out for work I put pieces of cardboard in the envelope as well, one on top and bottom, and also writing "Do not bend" on the envelop helps.
sounds smart! okay! thanks for the advice!

Manly Pitcher

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Kaielyn
Get insurance when you mail it. I have never had a wet package ever, so that's not common- most packages are paper/cardboard remember. Just mail it in an envelope or box that can't bend. You can put extra cardboard in the package or mount the print on something very firm.
okay--is insurance a lot extra usually?

Manly Pitcher

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wildebeeest
Pretty much echoing the above poster here.

You can get those plastic sleeves for prints and then support it with a piece of thin cardboard and put all that in an envelope with a "do not bend" sticker on it.

This is what my dad does for his 8 x 10 photo prints that he mails out.
that sounds good. ill give it a try thanks!

Fashionable Noob

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I SO VERY----- I
Kaielyn
Get insurance when you mail it. I have never had a wet package ever, so that's not common- most packages are paper/cardboard remember. Just mail it in an envelope or box that can't bend. You can put extra cardboard in the package or mount the print on something very firm.
okay--is insurance a lot extra usually?
It depends on how much you insure it for. Generally the best deal for the US is USPS priority mail which gives you free $50 insurance. It just compensates you for lost packages btw. It's not like safer handling or anything.

Manly Pitcher

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Kaielyn
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Kaielyn
Get insurance when you mail it. I have never had a wet package ever, so that's not common- most packages are paper/cardboard remember. Just mail it in an envelope or box that can't bend. You can put extra cardboard in the package or mount the print on something very firm.
okay--is insurance a lot extra usually?
It depends on how much you insure it for. Generally the best deal for the US is USPS priority mail which gives you free $50 insurance. It just compensates you for lost packages btw. It's not like safer handling or anything.
Oh hm priority mails shipping came out to a lot. This time the amount making from the sale might not be worth the insurance.. I will look into it when I get the exact weight of the package

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Well there are 2 ways that come to my mind. You can use a regular envelope put a piece of cardboard in there to keep it from bending. This way will be the cheapest it's called first class mail with a small non-machinable fee. It's the route i'd take it how i send my decals. Or you can do like previous posters have said and put it in a bubble mailer with cardboard (you only need 1 layer of cardboard no point in sandwiching. Make sure to put a do not bend sticker on there.

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Kaielyn
Get insurance when you mail it. I have never had a wet package ever, so that's not common- most packages are paper/cardboard remember. Just mail it in an envelope or box that can't bend. You can put extra cardboard in the package or mount the print on something very firm.


No point in insurance. I don't know what he is selling his product at but i'm sure It's a relatively high profit margin. If it gets damaged mail out a new one chances of it getting damaged are quite slim. So no point of eating away at a profit margin for something that has a 1/100 chance of happening. really though i'd recommend the envelope way. You can even stiffen up the envelope by cutting out a piece of a cereal box (very thin cardboard). Then put that and the print in there and put a 49 cent stamp on it and ship it off. Chances are very slim it'll bend since the envelope only comes into contact with 2 or 4 people the rest is machines that are calibrated not to bend envelopes. As I said i send vinyl decals this way out of 50+ sales i've had no complaints about shipping damage.

Not trying to tell you what to do i'm just telling you what works for me. It'll definitely work for paper if it works for vinyl. Just trying to help you save on shipping also you can ship envelopes to basically any major country for $1.20 that is if you're in the states.

Fashionable Noob

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CaptN_Cook
Kaielyn
Get insurance when you mail it. I have never had a wet package ever, so that's not common- most packages are paper/cardboard remember. Just mail it in an envelope or box that can't bend. You can put extra cardboard in the package or mount the print on something very firm.


No point in insurance. I don't know what he is selling his product at but i'm sure It's a relatively high profit margin. If it gets damaged mail out a new one chances of it getting damaged are quite slim. So no point of eating away at a profit margin for something that has a 1/100 chance of happening. really though i'd recommend the envelope way. You can even stiffen up the envelope by cutting out a piece of a cereal box (very thin cardboard). Then put that and the print in there and put a 49 cent stamp on it and ship it off. Chances are very slim it'll bend since the envelope only comes into contact with 2 or 4 people the rest is machines that are calibrated not to bend envelopes. As I said i send vinyl decals this way out of 50+ sales i've had no complaints about shipping damage.

Not trying to tell you what to do i'm just telling you what works for me. It'll definitely work for paper if it works for vinyl. Just trying to help you save on shipping also you can ship envelopes to basically any major country for $1.20 that is if you're in the states.
He was worried about damage so i assumed he was worried about losing the product. Look, anyone can go the cheap route and skip the extra fees but i've lost about $120 in the mail, about 2 $60 things i mailed out before i learned my lesson. You're right it doesn't always make sense to get every protection but for USPS they've made priority mail pricing so that many times it costs only slightly more or the same as mailing it another way...it will vary by location, size, etc. though. I just checked the price for priority flat cardboard envelopes and they're all about $6...to me that's pretty normal shipping cost...and you get tracking and insurance with priority. The only actually cheap shipping for packages that i know of is first class mail for small bubble envelopes...it's like $2.30 but that's with no tracking, no insurance, and if you have to get the label at the post office you can only do it at the counter and not the automated machines. I don't know what the situation is for OP's sales, but this is all just information to consider.

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wildebeeest
Pretty much echoing the above poster here.

You can get those plastic sleeves for prints and then support it with a piece of thin cardboard and put all that in an envelope with a "do not bend" sticker on it.

This is what my dad does for his 8 x 10 photo prints that he mails out.


ur avi is gr8 m8 heart

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What if you took two sheets of cardboard, cut it to the size of the bubble mailer and slid them with the art in the middle?

Tipsy Streaker

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For digital, I just upload stuff to DA and have them handle printing and shipping rather than have them ship to me then taking the time to print up a new shipping label to the art's permanent home and paying for shipping again.
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