Custom Cylinder Postal Tubes

Sizing Custom Cylinder Postal Tubes

Length comes from the short side of the sheet you are rolling, plus a little extra so the caps do not press on the edge of the paper. An A2 print rolled along its 420 mm side needs a tube of around 450 mm. An A1 sheet rolled along its 594 mm side needs about 630 mm.

Diameter depends on how tightly you want to roll the work and how many sheets go in each tube. Rolling too tightly can stress thick paper and make it hard to flatten, so fine art prints often go in wider tubes, around 75 to 100 mm. Thin posters can go into 50 mm tubes.

If you send a mix of sizes, a few standard tubes usually cover the whole range. Telescopic tubes are useful for one-off larger items. Our guide to measuring products for packaging covers rolled sheets as well as boxes.

• A3 posters: short tubes around 320 mm
• A2 prints: tubes around 450 mm
• A1 plans and posters: tubes around 630 mm
• A0 drawings: tubes around 870 mm
• Fine art on heavy paper: wider tubes for a looser roll

Printed Tubes for Brands and Artists

A plain brown tube does the job, but a printed tube makes a parcel feel special. Artists often print a full-length design with their name and a pattern from their work, so the tube itself becomes something customers keep. Print shops and galleries print their logo and website along the length.

Because the label wraps around a cylinder, designs that run along the length of the tube read best. A logo repeated two or three times means it can be seen from any angle. Leave a clear area for the shipping label, so couriers do not cover your branding.

Coloured end caps are a simple way to add brand colour without full printing. Black, white and coloured caps are available.

Matching the tube to your other packaging, such as flat mailers for smaller prints, keeps every order recognisably yours. Smaller gift items such as candles use the same wound card as our paper tubes with end caps.

Packing Prints Inside a Tube

Roll the print with the image facing outwards for most papers, as this helps it lie flat when unrolled. Wrap it in a sheet of tissue or glassine to protect the surface, then slide it into the tube. A small tab of tape on the tissue stops the roll from unwinding inside the tube.

Avoid filling the tube to the very end. A gap of around 15 mm at each end leaves space for the caps and protects the edges of the paper from impact. If the roll is loose inside a wide tube, add a little paper fill around it so it does not slide.

Including a printed card with care instructions, such as how to flatten the print and how to store it, is a nice touch for art buyers.

For multiple prints in one tube, interleave each sheet with tissue and roll them together rather than one inside another, which keeps the inner prints from curling too tightly. Mark the outside of the tube with the number of prints so the customer knows to look for them all. Upload the label artwork through the free proof request and we will show the repeat around the tube.

Who Uses Postal Tubes

Artists and illustrators selling prints online are the largest group, followed by print shops, poster companies, photographers and galleries. Architects, engineers and surveyors use tubes for plans and drawings. Schools and universities use them for graduation scrolls and rolled awards.

Retailers selling wallpaper samples, calendars, maps, yoga mats and fabric samples also use tubes because they protect rolled goods better than flat packaging.

Event organisers use printed tubes to send tickets, programmes and posters together as a keepsake pack, and the tube often ends up displayed on a shelf. The rest of the tubes and canisters range covers the short tubes those organisers use for pin badges and lanyards.

Roll the Sheet, Then Choose the Diameter

Tube length is easy to work out from the short side of the sheet plus about 30 mm for the caps, but the diameter is where orders go wrong. Roll your heaviest paper by hand and measure the roll; if it needs forcing below 75 mm, a wider tube is the answer. Send the sheet sizes you post, the paper weight, how many sheets go in one tube and how far they travel, and the wall thickness follows from that.

Choose plastic push-in caps for speed or card caps for a paper-only finish, and mark a clear area for the courier label on the artwork. A custom quote comes back by email within one working day, with minimums quoted per job. The free proof shows the label flat with the wrap direction marked. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval and tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses is free, taking 2–3 working days. Tubes that arrive dented or misprinted are reprinted or refunded when reported within 10 days. Artists who also sell small prints flat usually pair the tube with a slimmer shipping tube for A4 and A3 in the same label.