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How to pack a painting
Without suitable packaging, even if the courier is careful, transport can cause damage to your painting. This page outlines the steps to protect a painting before transport.
Why packaging is essential
An object that’s not well protected can arrive scratched, damaged, or broken, even if the carrier is as careful as possible.
With Cocolis, your items travel with individuals or professionals on journeys they're already making. They are handled during loading, in transit, and unloading—each a moment where good packaging makes all the difference.
An object can arrive scratched, broken, or incomplete. These situations are rare but avoidable and almost never happen when an item is properly packed from the start.
Prepare your painting before packing
Photograph the painting from several angles before packing it, clearly showing the condition of the frame and painted surface. For a canvas on a stretcher, check that the canvas is not coming away from the stretcher and that the tension wedges are in place. For a painting under glass, treat the glass like a mirror: make an X with tape on the glass before any other protection.
This is also a good moment to gather your materials and plan the right protection for each part. Good packaging preparation happens before you start, not as you go along.
Steps to pack a painting
- Cover the painted surface with a sheet of glassine paper or crystal paper – this acid-free paper protects the paint without rubbing or sticking to it. Avoid bubble wrap in direct contact with a painted canvas or an antique painting.
- Add a layer of bubble wrap over the protective paper, secured with tape placed on the bubble wrap, never on the frame.
- Place the painting between two pieces of rigid cardboard cut to its size, one on each side. Hold everything together with tape.
- Reinforce the corners with folded cardboard pieces – the corners of the frame are the most vulnerable areas.
- Transport the painting upright, never flat with other objects stacked on top.
Good habits to know
The essential points to avoid problems during transport
Adapt packaging to the item
Packaging isn’t universal. Take into account the fragility, weight, and shape of your painting to choose the right protection – the main thing is that the item is well protected during transport.
Don’t seal the packaging too soon
Leave your painting visible when the courier arrives. They must be able to check its condition before taking charge and take photos with and without protection. Seal the packaging only afterwards.
Take photos before shipping
Photograph your item before and after packing. In case of a problem, these photos are your only evidence of its initial condition.
Inform about special requirements
Some items have specific requirements: must be kept upright, particular handling direction, extra fragility. Clearly inform the courier about these before departure.
Never stick tape on surfaces
Brown tape can leave marks or damage finishes. Never stick it directly to an item – always use an intermediate layer.
Frequent mistakes & things to watch out for
Some mistakes happen regularly and explain most damage on arrival.
Bubble wrap should never be in direct contact with a painted canvas, watercolour, or work on paper – the bubbles can permanently mark the surface. Always use a layer of glassine paper or crystal paper between the artwork and the bubble wrap. For old or valuable paintings, consider additional protection with honeycomb cardboard.
Transporting painting with Cocolis
Simpler, more human transport
With Cocolis, your item doesn't go through a warehouse, isn't passed from hand to hand and doesn't endure multiple re-loadings. It's delivered directly from point A to point B, in a single trip, by an individual or professional already making the journey.
In reality, it’s often someone like your neighbour or cousin making the trip for their own reasons who takes special care of what they're carrying. It's not a courier under pressure to deliver dozens of parcels a day. This difference means a lot in how your item is handled.
Fewer handlings also means less risk. But your item will still be loaded and unloaded, and a sudden brake can happen: correct packing is still essential to protect sensitive areas at these key moments.
Practically, packing doesn't need to be designed to withstand a whole logistics chain. It just needs to provide effective protection for a single journey—which is achievable by everyone.
Frequently asked questions
The person sending the item is usually responsible for ensuring it’s properly packed before transport.
However, if you’re the recipient of a second-hand purchase, you requested delivery via Cocolis, and you want the sender to pack your painting, ask them explicitly and clarify your expectations: protection for surfaces, corners and fragile parts.
The sender is not automatically responsible—a clear request beforehand prevents misunderstanding.
If you can’t pack yourself, mention it in your Cocolis listing and alert the transporter in advance. Some co-transporters might help, but there’s no guarantee. In most cases, the simplest solution is to ask the sender to properly prepare the item before transport.
No. The courier must be able to see your painting before sealing the packaging, to check its condition at the start. This is important: if damage is reported at delivery, photos taken at this point prove the item was in good condition and correctly packed initially.
Best practice: prepare packaging beforehand, keep the item visible for the courier’s arrival, take photos together before and after sealing, then close the packaging.
Photos serve as proof if there’s a problem. They show the state of your painting before shipping and prove the item was properly packed.
Without photos, it’s difficult to demonstrate where damage came from and to get compensation.
Take photos before packing, after packing, and on receipt, to document any issue that may occur during transit.
Yes, but only if certain conditions are met: your painting must be suitably packed with sensitive parts protected, photos must be taken before and after packing and at delivery, and a Cocolis insurance policy must be purchased when booking.
Without insurance, or if packaging is insufficient, or you don’t have proof of the item's condition before and after transport, your claim may be refused.
To find out more about coverage conditions, visit our parcel insurance page.
If something happened, you can follow the process to declare a claim on Cocolis.
Other packing guides
For further advice, you can review packing guides for different types of item.
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