Shipping & Fulfillment

Packaging your work

How you package your art matters — both for protection and for the buyer's experience when it arrives. A well-packaged piece tells a buyer you care about your work and about them.

• Flat art (prints, drawings, unframed work)Use a rigid mailer or sandwich the piece between two pieces of cardboard. For anything valuable, add a layer of glassine or acid-free tissue to protect the surface. "Do Not Bend" stamped on the outside makes a difference.
• Canvases and framed workWrap corners with corner protectors (available cheap on Amazon). Wrap the whole piece in bubble wrap, then box it with at least 2 inches of padding on all sides.
• Digital art printsTreat like flat art. If you're fulfilling prints yourself, consider a tube for larger pieces — they ship more safely than flat for oversized work.
• Fragile or mixed media workWhen in doubt, double-box — pack the piece in a snug inner box, then put that inside a larger box with padding around it.

Choosing a carrier

For most art shipments within the US, you have three main options:

• USPS (United States Postal Service)Best for smaller, lighter pieces. Priority Mail (2–3 days) and Ground Advantage are the most used options for art. Free pickup from your home if you schedule it online — useful if getting to a post office is hard.
• UPSBetter rates for heavier packages (over 2–3 lbs). More reliable tracking. Ground shipping is cost-effective for large canvases. Drop-off at UPS stores or Staples/Office Depot locations.
• FedExComparable to UPS for heavier work. FedEx Office locations are everywhere and accept drop-offs without a box if you need them to pack something for you (for a fee).

Pricing your shipping

There are three common approaches:

• Charge exact costYou calculate the actual shipping cost and charge the buyer that amount. Most accurate, but requires more work per sale.
• Flat rateYou set a single shipping price (e.g., $8 for anything under a certain size/weight). Simpler, but you'll occasionally lose a little on heavy pieces and gain a little on light ones.
• Free shipping, built into priceYou raise your art price slightly to cover average shipping costs and offer "free shipping." Psychologically attractive to buyers. Works better once you have a sense of your average shipping cost.

Insurance and tracking

Always ship with tracking. It protects both you and the buyer, and it's cheap or included with most services.

For pieces worth more than $100, consider adding shipping insurance. USPS Priority Mail includes up to $100 of coverage automatically. For higher-value work, you can add more through the carrier or through a third party like Shipsurance.

Send the buyer their tracking number as soon as you ship. It builds trust and cuts down on "where is my order" messages.

What to do when something goes wrong

• Package arrives damagedAsk the buyer to take photos of the damage and the packaging before opening fully. File a claim with the carrier — you'll need those photos. Most carriers will reimburse you if the damage was due to transit handling.
• Package is lostWait 7–10 days past the expected delivery date before filing a claim — sometimes packages are just delayed. File a missing mail claim with USPS (usps.com/help/missing-mail.htm) or contact UPS/FedEx support. If you had insurance, file a claim.
• Buyer says it never arrived (but tracking shows delivered)This one is tricky. Ask the buyer to check with neighbors and their building's mail area first. If it's still missing, file a claim with the carrier. Whether you refund or resend is your call — most artists will offer to resend at least once for a long-term buyer relationship.