Custom Shipping Tubes

End Caps and Closures

Plastic push-in caps are the most common closure. They fit tightly, resist being knocked out and can be reused by the customer; the paper tubes with end caps page shows the cap styles. Card end caps with a metal rim give a fully paper finish that many artists and stationers prefer for appearance. Crimped ends, folded closed at one end during manufacture, save a cap and speed up packing.

For extra security, a strip of branded tape over each cap stops them working loose and shows if a tube has been opened. Some sellers use a tamper-evident seal sticker for valuable prints.

If recipients will reuse the tube for storage, choose push-in caps that come out with a firm pull and need nothing more than fingers.

Printing on a Curved Surface

Shipping tubes are printed on a paper wrap that covers the outside. Because the surface is curved, artwork is set up as a flat rectangle that wraps around the tube with a small overlap, and the Design Your Box page takes the file. Logos repeated two or three times around the circumference stay visible however the tube lies on a sorting belt.

A simple layout often works best: your logo, a website and perhaps a handling message such as do not bend or fragile artwork. Kraft wraps with black or white print look smart and understated. Full colour wraps suit poster companies and galleries that want the tube itself to make an impression.

Leave a clear area for the shipping label. A curved label can lift at the edges, so keep the label zone smooth and free of heavy varnish.

Tubes that sit on a client desk or in a studio corner for weeks keep advertising long after delivery. A tidy logo on a natural kraft wrap tends to be kept.

Packing Tips for Artwork and Drawings

Roll prints with the image facing outwards when you can. When the recipient unrolls it, the curl relaxes away from the surface rather than towards it, which helps it lie flat; for prints that must not be rolled at all, see the flat art print shipping boxes. Interleave a sheet of tissue or glassine against the printed face to prevent rubbing.

Wrap the roll in a protective sheet before sliding it into the tube, and fill any spare length with crumpled paper so the roll cannot slide and hit the caps. Include a short note on how to unroll and flatten the print, which customers appreciate.

For canvas, roll with the painted side facing outwards and use the largest diameter tube available to keep the paint surface from cracking.

Weigh a packed tube before you buy postage in bulk. Heavy wall tubes with plastic caps can tip a parcel into the next weight band, and knowing the real weight helps you price shipping accurately on your website.

Who Uses Printed Postal Tubes

Artists and illustrators send prints and original work to collectors. Poster and print shops ship framed-ready prints, and architects post plans in the wider cylinder postal tubes. Architects, surveyors and engineering firms post drawings and plans to clients and sites. Map publishers, universities sending graduation scrolls and event organisers posting banners all rely on sturdy tubes.

Calendar printers, wallpaper sample companies and fabric suppliers sending swatch rolls also use shipping tubes, as do businesses mailing large posters for promotional campaigns.

Offices with a regular flow of plans often keep a stock of branded tubes by the post room door, so drawings leave the building looking as professional as the work printed on them.

Roll the Print Loosely and Measure the Roll, Not the Sheet

A tube is sized from the rolled item, so roll a print the way you will pack it, loosely enough that the paper does not crack, and measure the diameter of the roll and its length. Thick art papers and canvas want a wider roll than a poster, which is why a 76 mm tube suits drawings and a 100 mm tube suits canvas. Add 20 to 30 mm to the length for the end caps and a little tissue. Then choose the wall: a light wall for posters going a short distance, a heavy wall for canvas, originals or anything travelling by courier.

Tell us the rolled size, the wall strength, the closure type and your artwork, and a custom quote comes by email within one working day, minimums low and quoted per job. A free design proof shows how the wrap sits around the tube. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval and free tracked delivery reaches UK mainland addresses in 2 to 3 working days. Tubes are bulky to store, so order what you can house. Studios that also sell small rolled prints use the small paper tubes for those.