Moderator: E.J. Peiker

All times are UTC-05:00

  
« Previous topic | Next topic »  
Reply to topic  
 First unread post  | 7 posts | 
by Joerg Rockenberger on Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:01 pm
User avatar
Joerg Rockenberger
Forum Contributor
Posts: 936
Joined: 7 Mar 2011
Location: Berlin, Germany
Hi,

I imagine that the question of how to best ship prints has been addressed here before but with the search function disabled it's hard to find...

Anyway, I want to ship some 13x19 in prints from the US to Europe. Standard shipping tubes at Office Depot and alike tend to be only 2.5in in diameter. And I realized that the paper I am using (Ilford Galeria Gold Fibre Silk) is too stiff to be rolled so tightly. Of course, there are larger diameter tubes but they also are then much longer than I need. And online sources often require purchases of boxes of several tubes which I don't really need. 

So, does anyone have a recommendation/source for shipping tubes (at least 3in diameter and 20in length) that can be purchased in small numbers? Any other recommendations are of course welcome as well.

Thanks. Best, Joerg
 

by bradmangas on Fri Dec 04, 2015 8:06 pm
User avatar
bradmangas
Forum Contributor
Posts: 278
Joined: 15 Feb 2013
Take a look at: Reliable Paper / Mailing Tubes
 

by Dave Weber on Sun Dec 06, 2015 4:10 pm
Dave Weber
Forum Contributor
Posts: 12
Joined: 2 Nov 2007
Location: Northern Wisconsin
I buy all of my mailing tubes from "Uline".

If a tube is too long, they can easily be cut down with an electric band saw. If you don't have one a "hack saw" will also work.
Dave Weber
PhotoWallpaper@hotmail.com
 

by Joerg Rockenberger on Sun Dec 06, 2015 4:17 pm
User avatar
Joerg Rockenberger
Forum Contributor
Posts: 936
Joined: 7 Mar 2011
Location: Berlin, Germany
Thank you Brad and Dave. Joerg
 

by Royce Howland on Sat Dec 19, 2015 2:46 pm
User avatar
Royce Howland
Forum Contributor
Posts: 11719
Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Member #:00460
In my opinion it's best to roll a print around a tube -- not inside it -- after covering the print face in a protective layer. Print side away from the tube. Then wrap the print+tube in a layer of bubble wrap or foam sheets. Then put that into a square cross-section box, ideally with end caps of some sort, to keep the tube more securely away from all 4 sides of the box. (Basically the way roll paper is shipped from the paper manufacturer.)

The main reason I have for not rolling prints inside a tube is that on occasion the customer will damage or destroy the print while trying to remove it from the tube. Also, some shipping options will impose a surcharge for sending tubes, whereas boxes containing the tube are a bit cheaper despite being slightly larger and heavier. It's probably to do with the way parcel sorting and handling systems deal with tubes.
Royce Howland
 

by Joerg Rockenberger on Sat Dec 19, 2015 8:02 pm
User avatar
Joerg Rockenberger
Forum Contributor
Posts: 936
Joined: 7 Mar 2011
Location: Berlin, Germany
Royce Howland wrote:In my opinion it's best to roll a print around a tube -- not inside it -- after covering the print face in a protective layer. Print side away from the tube. Then wrap the print+tube in a layer of bubble wrap or foam sheets. Then put that into a square cross-section box, ideally with end caps of some sort, to keep the tube more securely away from all 4 sides of the box. (Basically the way roll paper is shipped from the paper manufacturer.)

The main reason I have for not rolling prints inside a tube is that on occasion the customer will damage or destroy the print while trying to remove it from the tube. Also, some shipping options will impose a surcharge for sending tubes, whereas boxes containing the tube are a bit cheaper despite being slightly larger and heavier. It's probably to do with the way parcel sorting and handling systems deal with tubes.
That's certainly an interesting idea. I'll keep that in mind for next time. Thanks.

What I ended up doing was to buy 4" diameter tubes at Staples and cut them in half. Then, I rolled the prints (in archival plastic sleeves) a bit tighter than the 4" diameter and wrapped one layer of bubble foil around it (bubbles facing outward). Then, I inserted that into the tubes and placed additional bubble wrap in front of the two end caps applying heavy tape around them.

They haven't arrived yet. So, I don't know if they got damaged and how difficult it was to remove/unroll.

Best, Joerg
 

by signgrap on Sun Dec 20, 2015 10:32 am
User avatar
signgrap
Lifetime Member
Posts: 1776
Joined: 1 Sep 2004
Location: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Member #:00424
Royce Howland wrote:In my opinion it's best to roll a print around a tube -- not inside it -- after covering the print face in a protective layer. Print side away from the tube. Then wrap the print+tube in a layer of bubble wrap or foam sheets. Then put that into a square cross-section box, ideally with end caps of some sort, to keep the tube more securely away from all 4 sides of the box. (Basically the way roll paper is shipped from the paper manufacturer.)

The main reason I have for not rolling prints inside a tube is that on occasion the customer will damage or destroy the print while trying to remove it from the tube. Also, some shipping options will impose a surcharge for sending tubes, whereas boxes containing the tube are a bit cheaper despite being slightly larger and heavier. It's probably to do with the way parcel sorting and handling systems deal with tubes.
I know the perfect box to send a tube in. I use to own a sign business which cut letters out of vinyl. The rolls of vinyl were shipped to us in 6" square by 28" or 31" or 37" cartons. The vinyl was wrapped around a heavy 3" dia. cardboard tube. The tube was firmly held in the center of the box by pieces of cardboard that projected from the 6" ends of the box. These projections that fit into the center of the cardboard tube would keep the vinyl from ever touching the side of the shipping box. Any medium to large sign shop that cuts vinyl will have lots of these boxes and 3" tubes that they throw out i.e. recycle. If you can find a sign shop and ask them to save these boxes for you I'm sure you could work out a mutually beneficial arrangement that would be a win win for both of you. The sign business is converting over to digital printing but the vinyl they now print on instead of cutting out letters is still shipped in the same boxes. 
Dick Ludwig
 

Display posts from previous:  Sort by:  
7 posts | 
  

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group