Packaging Prints for Resale

The entire Feathered Hope project has been packed full of learning opportunities.  From dusting off my HTML skills while building a new web site to “fine tuning” the processing of a print until I was personally satisfied that it met my quality standards, there were a lot of challenges that took some time to overcome.  One of those challenges popped up when I suddenly found myself with a couple of local retailers willing to stock our prints for resale.  Awesome! Now how do I package them?

Our Feathered Hope Limited Edition prints are printed commercially on 20” x 30” E-Surface paper.  They arrive from the printer taped face down on a piece of cardboard, wrapped tightly in plastic and then sealed in a nice box.  That’s great for getting them from here to there, but not really an option for selling retail.  After spending some time in the forums and consulting a local gallery owner, here is what I ended up with.

• Crystal Clear Bags – 22 7/16” x 34 1/4” + flap.  100 pack
• 3/16” Acid Free Foam Board – Cut to 22” x 32” at our local Hobby Lobby (seeking a good online source)
• Scotch 3M Removable Double Sided Tape
• Business Card/Registration Card – www.Moo.com

Using about a 2” long piece of tape on each of the back top corners of the print, I adhered it to the center of the foam board allowing for an inch of border all of the way around to protect the corners.  Then it was as easy as sliding into the envelope, removing the plastic strip from the flap adhesive and then folding it over tight onto the back of the package.  In my case I also included a 9” x 12” envelope inside the clear bag and taped it to the back of the foam board.  Inside the envelope is a Certificate of Authenticity, an attractively printed copy of “From Behind the Lens” (the story of how the image was taken), a business card and a registration card offering some “owner benefits” to get those retail buyers to login and let me know who they are.

The total cost of the packaging was about $6 a print, but I’m pretty sure once I find a good online source for the foam board and am able to cut my own I can get that number down to just a few dollars.