TWCL

Clint Wolf · Joined: 15 Apr 2010 Posts: 298

Hey everyone,

My wife is trying to find a solution for packaging the art prints we sell at conventions, we used to use hard plastic toploaders but they've gotten too expensive. She doesn't want to just hand the prints over completely unprotected, though, so has been looking at sites like clearbags.com, which offer bags and boards for sale.

I'm getting a bit of sticker shock right now, though. I suppose it's because she needs bigger sizes than the bags and boards I pick up from my local comic store, but I'm used to paying about $5 for 100 each of those. The prices she's finding are around $17 per 100 plastic bags and $13.75 per 25 boards, the latter price making me wonder if the cardboard is infused with diamonds.

But I could be completely wrong. Does this sound standard? When she told me 100 bags and 100 boards plus shipping was going to run us almost 90 dollars, I about spit my drink.
_________________

Casual Notice · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:20 pm Post subject:

You didn't say what size she does these pieces in, so I'm going to assume 17x22" Tabloid pages.

Artwork done on 8x12 art paper fits nicely into a Golden Age or magazine bag with plenty of room for a backing board (comic backing boards are slight less sturdy than matte boards, but are acid free and can do the job).

Maybe you should look into cardboard shipping tubes?

Also, yeah, acid-free heavy matte board is expensive, expecially in non-standard (by which I mean larger than office paper) sizes.
_________________
What I lack in sincerity, I make up for in sarcasm.
S*P*Q*R

ttallan · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 12:56 pm Post subject:

What about Uline?

You have to order a larger quantity, but their prices per unit are much more reasonable.
_________________

Clint Wolf · Joined: 15 Apr 2010 Posts: 298

I think it's the price of the boards that I'm more worried about than the bags... and yeah, sizes would have helped, sorry about that. I believe we're mostly looking for stuff to fit 9x12 prints, with a few 11x17.

I think tubes wouldn't be an effective solution because this is just meant to be something we slip the prints into when they're bought at a convention. 100 tubes sounds like a lot of bulk to deal with, regardless of price.

I honestly don't recall other exhibitors bothering with boards for their art prints, and this might be exactly why. If the matte board is that expensive and there's no comic board in the right size, I might just make the case we don't need 'em.
_________________

ttallan · Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2012 6:18 pm Post subject:

Yeah, in that case I'd skip the boards. Prints are usually done on thicker paper anyway, so they don't need the extra stiffener. And I can't recall anyone selling their prints with boards, either.

If you find you need boards for mailing purposes, you can buy Stay-Flat type envelopes (link is to Uline again, but you can probably get them anywhere), and save up cardboard if you want extra protection. I save all the cardboard backs from my large pads of bristol paper, for example, for just this purpose. You could also consider buying large cheap matte boards or illustration boards from your local art store and cutting them down to the size you want.
_________________

smbhax.com · Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:04 am Post subject:

I *was* saving paper pad backs and big flat cardboard boxes (mostly the ones my paper pads come in, those are huge!) to cut up as backing boards for shipping purposes...but I have a tiny apartment and got tired of having to set aside a board storage area, worrying if I'll be able to keep up a sufficient supply, etc. Since I'm still in the primitive mode of shipping stuff from the local post office, what I'm doing now for boards is just taking an extra shipping box from the post office every two trips or so (they're free!), and cutting that extra box up into several backing boards for fitting into the boxes I ship. Technically, I'm still using it for shipping! >_>

... Yes I take the blame for the fiscal losses of the US Postal Service.
_________________

rocketpig · Joined: 20 Dec 2010 Posts: 404

Hey, Clint. Check out http://bagsunlimited.com. I recently ordered some bags and boards from them and the prices were reasonable. The boards are pretty crappy cardboard that's quite a bit thicker than I'd like but they do the job.
_________________

Metruis · Joined: 14 Oct 2008 Posts: 990 Location: Canada

Why not, instead of buying backs, just pick up something like a package of index paper/cover weight paper in the size you want? http://www.paper-papers.com/Mohawk-Color-Copy-PREMIUM-11x17-Paper-100lb-COVER.html You can even get cardstock in pretty colors. http://www.paper-papers.com/Wausau-Exact-INDEX-11-x-17-Cardstock-Paper-110lb-Index-250-PK.html

I wouldn't really bother with cardboard backings unless you're shipping. For cons, just that little extra stiffness should be good.

Also I'm not sure what it would work out to per page, but you could even go with something like bristol board... should come in all the sizes you can imagine!
_________________