Picture Frame Packaging - The complete guide | Ireland Edition 2025
A must read guide for anyone looking to effectively package and ship out their own picture framing products
How to ship picture frames in Ireland
Packaging of picture frames has increased dramatically in the last 10 years with the rise of Ecommerce. However successfully getting a picture frame product from A to B is slightly more complex then just popping your frame into a box. There is many factors that must be considered. This is a complete guide for artists, photographers, companies and any individuals who are looking to package picture frames for onward shipments in Ireland and abroad.
To start creating some solutions for shipping picture frames we first need to discuss some of the issues associated with shipping picture frames
1. Frames are prone to damage
Most frame profiles are made from wood, plastic or MDF. Wood frames are soft and prone to being damaged if pressure is placed on the frame rim. Plastic frames are fracture sensitive and will not ship well at frame sizes over 16 x 12 inches. MDF frames have paper wrap laminated to MDF but the facepaper can delaminate or also be damaged from pressure like wood during transit.
Pro Tip - Avoid shipping plastic frames over 16 x 12 inches as they will fracture
2. Picture frames are sold with glass
Traditionally all picture frames would of been sold with a glass sheet to protect the artwork. Glass is extremely fragile and shatters if any significant knocks during transit. If shipping glass in your frame the max size you can realistically ship without high levels of damages is 16 x 12 inch frame size. Shipping 20 x 16 inch frames will lead to breakages unless significant time is spent packaging the frame. When there is no glass in the frame you can ship much larger frames with the right boxes.
Shipments containing glass are not insurable for shipping and thus any breakages will come out of the senders pocket. This has resulted in many frames purchased online being supplied with plastic glazing which is lightweight and does not shatter but it scratches very easily and has a large static charge build up when removing release wrappers which can make assembly difficult
Pro Tip - Use plastic glazing to ship framed prints over 16 x 12 inch frame size
3. Packaging companies dont have your size
Packaging companies do not make boxes specically for picture frames. This is because there is a huge variation between frame profiles in terms of height, width and depth. This means customers will generally have to use whatever boxes are available from stock at a packaging company. Typically this would mean purchasing larger boxes and cutting them down to suit or filling the box with a lot of filler material to ensure the frame was well packed in the box
Pro Tip - measure your frame externally - add on 50mm all around for packing material - pick a box closest to that size
4. Cardboard grades differ
Cardboard grades are important to keep in mind for shipping larger frames as the less cardboad protecting your frame the more likelyhood the frame will get damaged. Single wall boxes have one layer of protection vs double wall which has 2 layers. Always go for double walled where possible as it is far superior to single walled because of the extra thickness and cushioning effect
Pro Tip - Double wall cardboard is always best as more cushion if there is an impact
5. Size Matters
Picture frame size matters when it comes to shipping picture frames. And just to be clear the frame size is always the same size as the glass pane or backing board in the frame.
In essence, smaller frames will ship easily and larger frames will be problematic. But what exactly are the limits? We have shipped over 50,000 frames within Ireland so we are speaking from experience.
Frames with glass in them should only be shipped up to 16 x 12inch frame size.We have found anything above this size leads to significant damgages
The best solution for shipping larger framed prints 20 x 16inch or larger is to use tempered glazing or plastic glazing or no glazing
| Frame Size | Shipping Difficulty | Potential Damages % | Recommended Box Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 x 5 inches & under | EASY | 0 | Any Style |
| 10 x 8 inches & Under | Easy | >3% | |
| 14 x 11 inches & under | Medium | >5% | |
| 16 x 12 inches & under | Medium | >8% | |
| 20 x 16 inches & under | Hard | 10 - 20% | |
| Anything Over 20 x 16 inches | Hard | 10 - 30% |