The Best Way To Pack Your Photos for Shipping
Shipping your precious memories far from home is one of the scariest parts of digitizing your photo collection with a scanning service. While you know the pictures are safe at home and with the photo experts, what happens along the way is more of a mystery. The safer you prepare your photos for shipping, the less likely they are to become damaged along the way. When you know the best way to pack your photos for shipping, you’ll rest easy knowing that nothing will get in the way of your photos’ transportation to their destination.
Picking the Correct Shipping Container
The first step to packing photos correctly begins with the shipping method you choose. When you’re only shipping a few photos or negatives, a shipping envelope with bubble wrap padding will work just fine to keep your pictures safe.
However, if you’re shipping an entire collection, you’ll want to purchase a flat-rate box to transport your photos instead. Don’t underestimate how heavy a photo collection can get—a flat-rate box will save you from extra charges due to weight.
Packing the Photos
Once you have the correct container, you’ll need to take extra steps to ensure the photos arrive unharmed. Follow the steps below as you load your pictures into their envelope or box.
Pad the Container
No matter which shipping service you use, the photos will experience a small amount of jostling around during their journey. While a shipping envelope often has bubble wrap insulation, a box may require some additional preparation to keep your pictures safe. Use bubble wrap or airbags to line the sides of your box. Avoid paper-based insulation or packing peanuts, as the dust could get onto your photos and damage them.
Protect Your Photos
Next, prepare the photos themselves for shipping. Secure the pictures or negatives in resealable plastic bags and mark the outside of the bag for scanning. If you’re concerned about storing one photo in the same bag with others, secure it in its own plastic bag and mark it as fragile to ensure it’s given the care it needs. If you’re sending both negatives and regular photos, don’t keep them in the same bag.
Organize the Collection
We’ll digitize your photos in the way you organize them. If you want special care for file naming or folder organization purposes, sort the photos into their designated bags and label them accordingly.
Final Shipping Touches
With your photos stowed in the box and organized, it’s time to add some final safety touches to your container to keep it safe. Pad any gaps between bags or loose objects—such as film canisters—with additional layers of bubble wrap. Once you feel comfortable with how secure the box is, close it and seal it with strong packing tape.
Additional Shipping Options
Before you send out your photos, make sure you receive a tracking number from the shipping service you choose. This way, you’ll know exactly where your photos are at all times. Additionally, you may decide to pay for fragile handling—especially with antique photos.
You can never be too careful while choosing the best way to pack your photos for shipping, especially if they aren’t digitized yet. Your chosen convert photos to digital service will appreciate the care you put into keeping your photos safe—and you can count on DiJiFi to ensure that they’re just as safe on the way home as well.