Tubing some Quads

[Mulvaney]

Hi,

So as some of you might know, I have a few UK quads that I'm about to sell. I have some questions regarding what you as a quad/vintage poster collector deem to be acceptable packaging.

I collect Screenprints. I have done so for years and I know how to roll properly (reinforced tube, craft, bubble wrap on ends etc) when sending a print to someone else. My quads are folded twice, when I unfolded one to test a tube length I felt a but uncomfortable rolling it from a completely flat position (they're quite old, they feel a lot more delicate than the thick stock paper of Screenprints). I guess I am a little concerned that I might damage them.
It felt better rolling them from their current folded position but as I am not a quad collector, I'd like to know what you think people would find most reassuring/comfortable to receive.

FYI I'll be using 3.5"-4" diameter tubes with enough breathing space each end that the print isn't near the end caps (regardless which method I go for).

Cheers

[skyjackers]

I'm sure someone on here will fill you in on exactly how to do it, but you should never roll a previously folded poster. It will damage the poster and cause a headache for the buyer and ultimately for you.

[paul waines]

Quite right, never roll a folded poster, and (I may have miss read this) Absolutely never roll a poster that you have folded still.

Use the original folds, and pack it flat. if you are saying the poster is very large, and won't fold up small enough, you may have to roll it, but the bigger diameter tube the better.

Do you have any pics of said posters?   

[Mulvaney]

Quite right, never roll a folded poster, and (I may have miss read this) Absolutely never roll a poster that you have folded still.

Use the original folds, and pack it flat. if you are saying the poster is very large, and won't fold up small enough, you may have to roll it, but the bigger diameter tube the better.

Do you have any pics of said posters?  

My album link is here: http://imgur.com/a/ZfcxS so you can see the folds.
I might have just got my maths wrong, these may just fit inside the Royal Mail Medium parcel size. So I can ship them boxed (long day, brain dead).

All posters currently are folded twice, i.e. a quarter of the poster surface is the size of the poster when folded, so 15"x20".

My main concern is finding boxes suitable to ship them in. It needs to be just under the max size of a medium parcel.

[erik1925]

And one othe suggestion, too, if I may.

Don't fold a quad (or any poster) an EXTRA time to make it fit in a certain size mailer or envelope. Not only is that adding extra vertical or horizontal folds when opened, it could also cause paper breaks or splits (on something older) as it is now being folded in areas that never were before.

If the packaging (cardboard protectors) needs to be made a bit larger to accommodate the folded poster comfortably, then do that, to protect the poster, even down to all the edges, when finally inside the parcel.

 

[jedgerley]

Yeah I would ship the quads flat. here are pics of what I did the other day for a poster in similar size to your quads folded.  13"x29" I use at least three layers of cardboard @ outermost layers are thicker if possible.  And use a large buffer zone to protect from corner dings.  the white triangles are 8.5x11 cardstock paper cut into thirds and folded into triangles to ensure the poster does not move.   hope this helps. the main thing is even at a large diameter tube rolling a folded quad will stress the paper in new ways and weaken it.  Probably not but a buyer wouldnt like to see it in a tube in most cases.






bonus picture.  how I pack lenticulars:

[jedgerley]

holy cow you three had a whole conversation while I was typing this post out.  I feel slow...more c0ffee please!

[Mulvaney]

Thank's for the comments. It's very important to me that I do this properly. I don't want someone to invest and be disappointed by poorly packaged posters.

I find it very strange that no one seems to do a box size that goes right up to (minus a few cm)  Royal Mail's max medium parcel size of 61cm x 46cm x 46cm.

So looking at the above pictures (thanks!), thick cardboard may be the way to go then (and cut it to just under the max medium parcel size). I could probably get hold of some foamboard too - not sure if that'll make much difference having that inside the 'sandwich'?...

[jedgerley]

foamboard could work for the inside.  go just with as many layers of cardboard as possible. this may be a bit much but you can also reverse the grain of the cardboard for each layer for extra stiffness. and dont use any parts of cardboard that have prefolded parts like the flaps.  but yeah my general approach is making sure that once I am done I could throw it across the street and even if it hit a corner the poster would be ok inside.  Thats what I imagine happening at the distribution centers. 

[erik1925]

And stay away from corrugated cardboard if possible. It bends much too easily. Or double up on it, if you do use pieces of it.

[paul waines]

Corrugated card is OK, but you do need to double up as Jeff says, and also run the "corrugations" in opposite directions to each other.. 

[marklawd]

......you should never roll a previously folded poster. It will damage the poster and cause a headache for the buyer and ultimately for you.

Unless that previously folded poster has been stored flat for some time. In which case you should ship it rolled as re-folding will stress the paper.

Mark

[skyjackers]

Unless that previously folded poster has been stored flat for some time. In which case you should ship it rolled as re-folding will stress the paper.

Mark

Apologies. I shouldn't have said 'previously' folded. Didn't mean to cause confusion.

[Mulvaney]

They've been folded for about...25 years, so I think they'll be staying as they are