How to ship artwork: framed pieces, canvas, paintings and glass

How do you pack framed art with glass?

Pack framed art with glass by taping the glass, covering the face with a stiff board, protecting all four corners and double-boxing the frame so it cannot touch the outer walls.

1. Photograph the front, the back and each corner before you wrap anything.
2. Run strips of tape across the glass in a grid, using tape that peels off glass cleanly, or take the glass out and fit acrylic. Tape does not stop a crack; it holds the pieces so they do not slide across the art.
3. Lay a board the size of the frame over the front, so a knock lands on the board and the frame rails, not on the pane.
4. Fit a protector on each corner, and tape down hanging wire on the back.
5. Put the wrapped frame in a snug inner box, and that box in an outer box with cushioning on all six sides. If anything moves when you shake it, add cushioning.

UPS describes this two-box method for fragile goods as an outer box 6 inches larger than the inner box in each dimension, with 3 inches of cushioning around the inner box (UPS packaging tips, read October 21, 2026).

How do you pack a stretched canvas or an unframed painting?

Pack a stretched canvas by covering the paint with a smooth, non-stick sheet, boarding both the front and the back, protecting the corners and double-boxing it, because a canvas has nothing rigid behind it and can be dented or punctured from either side.

Put the smooth sheet against the paint first, so any textured wrap added afterward has nothing to press its pattern into. Then sandwich the canvas between two stiff boards at least its own size, and tape the boards to each other, not to the canvas.

A painting has to be dry all the way through before it ships. A tacky surface holds on to whatever touches it, so if the piece is not dry, move the ship date.

A wooden crate changes the bill: UPS adds Additional Handling to any package not fully encased in corrugated cardboard (UPS Terms and Conditions of Service, section 40.9, read October 14, 2026).

What box size does framed art need, and when do surcharges start?

On a two-box build, framed art needs an outer box about 6 inches longer and 6 inches wider than the frame, and the UPS and FedEx size surcharges start at a 24 x 36 inch frame: its box measures 118 inches in length plus girth, past the 105 inch line at UPS and FedEx and the 108 inch line at USPS. USPS nonstandard fees start one row earlier, at the 20 x 24 inch frame.

Example: each row below takes a frame 2 inches deep and adds 3 inches of cushioning on every side, so the outer box is the frame's long side plus 6, by its short side plus 6, by 8 inches. Measure your own packed box.

Our arithmetic: girth is 2 x (width + height), and the billed weight is the volume divided by 139, rounded up, when that is more than the box weighs. Size lines from the UPS 2026 Daily Rate and Service Guide and the FedEx Service Guide 2026, both read October 14, 2026, and from USPS DMM 101 and USPS Notice 123, effective October 4, 2026, read November 12, 2026.

Every box in the table bills on its size, not its weight: if the framed 20 x 24 inch piece weighs 12 lb packed, its box is still billed as 45 lb. The 24 x 36 inch row is hard to move, because the bare frame already measures 36 + 2 x (24 + 2) = 88 inches in length plus girth before any cushioning.

Every UPS trigger and its amount by zone are on UPS Additional Handling and Large Package surcharges, and the USPS limits and fees are on USPS package size and weight limits. What the holiday season adds to both UPS charges is on UPS demand surcharges and holiday shipping for heavy packages.

Which carrier and service fit a large framed piece?

The packed box decides: USPS fits boxes up to 108 inches in length plus girth on any parcel service and up to 130 inches on Ground Advantage, UPS and FedEx take boxes up to 165 inches, and anything beyond that is freight.

Up to the 20 x 24 inch row, quote all three carriers. Enter the dimensions you measured, each side rounded up to the next whole inch. Carriers re-measure parcels, and a box entered smaller than it is can come back as a billing adjustment. A Fragile sticker changes none of this: UPS's terms say it provides no special handling for packages marked Fragile (UPS Terms and Conditions of Service, section 8, read October 14, 2026).

Should you insure artwork, and what does declared value cover?

Do not assume a carrier's included coverage or its declared value protects an original: the included amounts are small, FedEx says declared value is not shipping insurance, and both FedEx and USPS set limits for fragile and hard-to-value pieces. The figures are in the facts block above.

Whatever cover you choose, build the file before the box is sealed:

• Proof of value. USPS accepts a sales receipt, a paid invoice or bill of sale, or a statement of value from a reputable dealer (USPS DMM 609.3.2, read November 12, 2026).
• Photos of the piece, of each packing stage and of the sealed box.
• A note asking the buyer to keep the piece, the box and all the packing if anything is wrong.

GoatLabels offers optional shipment insurance at checkout when the shipment lists an item and its value, and claims for insured shipments are filed from Settings > Insurance. Its price, rules and exclusions are on the shipping insurance page. Insurance terms list excluded goods, so look for fine art in that list before you rely on it for an original or a limited edition.

What does GoatLabels do for an artwork shipment?

GoatLabels prices your packed box on each carrier that accepts it and sells the label; it does not pack, crate or collect artwork.