Canvas prints travel rolled in a tube

Canvas editions are too flexible to ship flat without damage. They are rolled around a core and placed in a tube that is slightly longer than the print itself. The tube absorbs impact and keeps the surface from being pressed. A rolled canvas arrives ready to be stretched or mounted, depending on the edition. The tradeoff is that a rolled print cannot be hung straight from the box. That is expected and not a defect.

The tube method is the standard packaging method for Ghiatza canvases because it removes the weakest point in transit, which is the frame edge. A canvas without a rigid frame has no corners to chip and no glazing to crack. The surface is the only thing that needs protection, and a tube gives it a clear path. If a print arrives with a crease that does not relax after unrolling, that is the kind of issue worth raising.

Framed posters ship flat in a reinforced box

Framed posters are a different object and use a different method. They are shipped flat because the frame, the print, and the glazing are already assembled. Rolling a framed poster would stress the joints and could crack the glass or acrylic. The flat box is built to hold the framed piece without letting it shift. Corner protection and a snug fit are the point of the design.

Flat shipping is the safer choice for anything that is already framed and glazed. The risk is not the surface of the print but the assembly around it. A box that is too large lets the piece move. A box that is too small puts pressure on the frame. The packaging method for Ghiatza canvases and posters is built around those two different risks, and the distinction is what keeps the piece intact.

Damage in transit is the real concern

The question behind the question is usually damage. A skeptical buyer is right to ask it, because transit is where a print is most vulnerable. The packaging is designed to reduce that risk, not to eliminate it. A tube protects a rolled canvas well, but a hard impact can still mark the surface. A flat box protects a framed poster well, but a corner can still be dented if the box is dropped.

The practical response is to inspect the piece before it is hung or stretched. A rolled canvas should be unrolled on a clean flat surface and given time to relax. A framed poster should be checked at the corners and along the frame before it is placed. Most transit issues are visible immediately. If something is wrong, the claim is usually clearer when the packaging is still present. That is why the box and the tube matter more than they first appear to.