What Determines Flat or Rolled Shipping

The format decides it, not the artist. A framed print has glass, acrylic or a rigid surface that cannot be rolled, so it travels flat between sheets of board, with corner guards and a snug box. The box adds bulk and cost, which is why some stores charge more for framed shipping.

Canvas and unframed paper prints are a different case. A large canvas shipped flat risks warping and dents, so it is usually rolled around a core and sent in a tube. On arrival it needs a day or two to relax flat before framing. Prints of Bernardo Marques, whatever the format, follow these same trade routes, so ask the seller which method applies to your order before you buy.

If you are comparing sellers, the best places to buy Marques prints online will usually state their packing method on the product or shipping page. If it is not stated, email and ask. A store that answers quickly tends to pack well.

How Prints Arrive From Online Stores

The standard patterns are few. Paper prints under roughly 8x10 inches often ship flat even unframed, slipped into a rigid mailer. Anything larger rolls into a tube with a diameter of 3 to 6 inches. Framed work, as noted, always ships flat, protected on both faces.

Rolled is not a downgrade, whatever the anxious part of the brain insists. Tubes survive rough handling better than flat parcels, because the curved wall resists crushing. Damage happens most often to flat-packed unframed prints, where a corner can bend unnoticed. Understanding choosing between canvas and framed posters helps here, since the format you pick shapes the packaging you get.

On arrival, inspect before you celebrate. Unroll a paper print on a clean surface, weight the corners lightly, and give it a few hours. Canvas from a tube can be stretched or framed once it has settled, as covered in guides on hanging a print without a frame. Minor edge curl from the roll usually disappears under a mat or frame.

Protecting a Print in Transit and After

The buyer controls the second half of the risk. A print left in a hot mailbox or a damp hallway can suffer more than it did in the courier's van. Bring the parcel indoors promptly, especially in summer or in freezing weather, when paper and canvas coatings react badly to extremes.

Once unpacked, keep the print away from direct sunlight and humidity until it is framed. Glassine and tissue used in packing are there for the journey, not for storage, so remove them rather than repacking. Care over the first week matters as much as the seller's care over packing, and it costs nothing.

Framed pieces deserve one extra check. Look at the corners and the glazing surface under a light before signing for delivery if the courier allows it. Dents in a frame corner are the most common transit fault, and they are easiest to claim for when spotted immediately.