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Roll the poster and ship it in a rigid triangle tube, or ship smaller prints flat in a rigid stay-flat mailer inside a plastic sleeve. The enemy is edge crush: corners and edges bend first, so protect them most. Scope note: LetterAgent labels are Canada-only Canada Post Xpresspost, flat rate, up to 5 kg.
For anything bigger than a magazine page, the triangle tube wins. Round tubes roll around and collapse under stacking pressure; triangle tubes have flat sides that resist crushing and do not roll off a sorting belt. Roll the print with the image facing inward for art prints (it protects the printed side from scuffing), though very heavy stock can crack if rolled too tight, so keep the roll loose for thick paper. Tape the roll to itself with a band of paper or a rubber band before sliding it in, so it does not unroll and jam.
Flat shipping suits smaller prints, photographs, and anything that was sold as flat and should arrive flat. A "stay-flat" rigid mailer is a reinforced cardboard envelope, not a padded mailer: padded mailers bend, rigid mailers do not. Sandwich the print between two stiff cardboard sheets inside the mailer for anything valuable, and tape the mailer's flap shut; the peel-and-seal strips on cheap mailers pop open in transit.
Slide the print into a clear plastic sleeve or bag first. This is the moisture barrier, and it matters more than most people think: parcels sit in trucks, on porches, and in community mailboxes in the rain. For art prints with delicate surfaces, interleaving tissue between stacked prints stops them from sticking or scuffing each other. Write "Do not bend" on flat mailers; it does not guarantee gentle handling, but it stops the casual fold that a soft envelope invites.
| What you are shipping | Packaging to use | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Large poster | Triangle tube, print rolled image-in | Folding it to fit a box; the crease is permanent |
| Small art print | Rigid stay-flat mailer plus plastic sleeve | Using a padded bubble mailer, which bends |
| Valuable or signed print | Flat, sandwiched between cardboard, inside a box | Skipping the moisture barrier |
| Oversized fine-art print | Flat in a box with corner protectors | Rolling canvas or textured stock too tightly |
Framed prints ship as fragile items in a box, not as flat mail, and glass makes everything harder: tape an X across the glass so shards stay put if it breaks, pad the frame corners, and consider whether the frame should just come off and ship separately. For very large flat prints, corner protectors plus a box cut to size beat a too-big box where the print slides around. If the piece is worth real money, photograph it before sealing the box and buy the shipping insurance; carriers decide claims on evidence.
When you are ready to send it, LetterAgent gets you a Canada Post Xpresspost label by asking your AI assistant: per-label quote, you approve the exact price, one-time payment, and the label PDF is provided. The label covers Canada-only shipments up to 5 kg, which handles rolled posters and most framed pieces.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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