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ricochetrag · ‎05-28-2020

I'm new to shipping photos. I bought 9x12 envelopes and I have leftover cardboard. Do I need to put paper tissue over the photo and use just one side of cardboard or two and should I insure it just in case in gets bent in transit? Thank you!

mr_lincoln · ‎05-28-2020

@ricochetrag I never use padded envelopes for anything. I've been shipping things since the early 80s and a box is the only way I ship anything. I had several lots of antique post cards, Christmas and other seasonal cards and even a single item was put in a very small lightweight box. One account here sells book both sold and hard cover ... they all go in a box. We just shipped a pair of blue jeans this morning, yep in a box.

As to shipping a photo make sure you do not have a rough material against the image side ... and believe it or not, cardboard has small fibers that can scratch surfaces. Thin bubble wrap (smooth side down) UN-taped but wrapping the photo ... then that goes in a box.

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

nobody*s_perfect · ‎05-28-2020

Yes, use tissue unless your cardboard is specifically for shipping photos.

Insurance will not protect you against bent photos. It is your responsibility to pack the items so they cannot be bent. This could mean using two layers of corrugated cardboard, with the "grain" going crosswise to each other. Writing "Do not bend" on the envelope is completely useless; USPS has even issued a specific memo about this.

southern*sweet*tea · ‎05-28-2020

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
Yes, use tissue unless your cardboard is specifically for shipping photos.

Insurance will not protect you against bent photos. It is your responsibility to pack the items so they cannot be bent. This could mean using two layers of corrugated cardboard, with the "grain" going crosswise to each other. Agreed Writing "Do not bend" on the envelope is completely useless; Not necessarily - it can be a gentle reminder to the carrier not to fold it in half before shoving it in the mailbox. Of course, if it's stiff enough that it can't be folded...USPS has even issued a specific memo about this.

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