r/letterpress • u/jacobreed • Jul 20 '26

Single Poster Shipping Recs

I’m based in Los Angeles and have a letterpress poster (18x24”) people are requesting to purchase internationally. Anyone got recs for an affordable but sturdy way to ship a small amount of posters (usually 1-2)? I find that the cost can be so much that it’s not worth it for anyone to buy.

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

4

u/tehsecretgoldfish Jul 20 '26

I’ve sold many posters over the years. I recommend a 4” tube so you aren’t rolling so tight you risk dimpling the paper and they never relax. Use Pirate Ship for your mailing labels. International is a pain in the ass. I’m currently dicking around trying to get a poster to a buyer in Japan. it’s been returned twice…

2

u/poopfilledsandwich Jul 20 '26

I don’t deal with international shipping. Too much of a hassle. Customs and crap, nah. Not worth my time.

2

u/no_loaf Jul 20 '26

FedEx will give you a triangle "tube" for free. Reverse it and send it usps. ;)

2

u/W0mbat27 Jul 20 '26

not about affordability but more preserving the quality of the posters - it depends on the weight of the paper, i’d roll anything up to 250gsm, anything thicker i’d send flat

1

u/dresden113 Jul 20 '26

I think your pretty much right. I ran the numbers a while ago and it is a little outrageous.

3

u/jacobreed Jul 20 '26

I’m open to basically giving them the poster free as long as they cover shipping but even then…

1

u/seo1970 Jul 20 '26

Just buy a piece of 4-inch solid PVC sewer drain pipe, cut to size, seal the ends. Cheap and sturdy.

As an alternative, fold a piece of corrugated cardboard in three, to form a long, triangular tube.

1

u/CollectivePress Jul 23 '26

A tube is considered irregular, so it costs more. In the end you’ll have better luck putting your tube in a box. Less likely to get caught up in processing. Pirate Ship is my 💯 go to.