We evaluate each packing and crating project individually. Depending on your needs, we can provide everything from protective cardboard sleeves to museum crates for domestic and international shipments. Guardian’s art handlers have years of experience getting valuable, fragile, and hard to ship items to their destinations safely. Guardian also builds storage crates with archival materials for secure, long-term storage.
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​Crating and packing through Guardian is done on site by people who have created museum crating for decades. Our shop is equipped to pack whatever assets you need moved. Custom crating and packing is available for domestic or international travel. Soft packing is perfect for a delivery across town. Whether your asset is going from our shop to storage or from your home to another destination, we will work with you to find the best solution.

Crating options

Guardian Fine Art Services understands the importance of maintaining the integrity of your collections and offers a variety of crating options to meet various budgets and needs. Whether you need a one-way shipping crate or a Museum standard travelling crate, Guardian can help. Guardian Fine Art Services has a state-of-the-art workshop and dedicated crate builder who is able to customize your crates based on your budget, the inherent needs of the object, and where and how your items will be shipped. Considerations when designing your crate include protection from vibrations, shock, water/ moisture, and temperature fluctuations. Additionally, all Guardian Fine Art made crates are ISPM-15 compliant and stamped, meaning all of our crates are suitable for domestic as well as all
international shipping.

Two‐Way Crate
Most common crate; used for multiple stops or two‐way shipping but not recommended for
long‐term storage or shipping
  • Constructed of ½” AC plywood and heat-treated wooden battens
  • 3.5”x 3.5” skids, pallet‐jack accessible if large enough to require
  • Wooden or metal handles
  • Screw closures
  • Routed edges
  • Ethafoam or similar bumpers appropriate to object inside
  • Basic exterior stenciling (fragile, do not get wet, and up arrows)
  • Painting or object wrapped in archival polyethylene if possible

Museum Quality Travel and Storage Crate
Our highest‐quality crate made for long‐term travel or storage
  • Constructed of MDO or ½” AC plywood and heat-treated wooden battens
  • 3.5” x 3.5” skids or donut pallet cushions, pallet‐jack accessible if large enough to require
  • Wooden or metal handles
  • Bolt closures
  • Urethane gasket fully sealing lid
  • Fully lined interior (with Marvelseal or archival coroplast) to prevent off gassing
  • Seams caulked
  • Fully insulated interior, lined with a minimum of 2” Ethafoam or similar foam appropriate to object and environmental changes
  • Exterior clear coat OR paint, depending on preference
  • Basic exterior stenciling (fragile, do not get wet, and up arrows)
  • Custom exterior stenciling available upon request
  • Exterior edges fully routed
  • Painting or object wrapped in Dartek, if possible

Slat Crate
Appropriate for delicate objects that need to be suspended inside a crate for shipping. Generally used for large sculptures and furniture.
  • Constructed of heat-treated lumber with open sides (which can be covered in archival poly or Coroplast based on client’s preference)
  • 3.5” x 3.5” skids, pallet‐jack accessible if large enough to require
  • Wooden or metal handles
  • Screw closures
  • Ethafoam or similar bumpers and heat-treated bracing appropriate to secure object inside
  • Unrouted exterior edges

Crate Interior Options
2-dimensional works that have fragile frames or no frame are recommended to be placed inside a travel frame. This protects the edges of the frame or painting while in travel as the artwork gets attached directly to the Travel frame with Oz clips, thus preventing any contact with bumpers or bracing.

Cavity packing is used for fragile objects that need full support. Cavities are usually cut out of Ethafoam and lined with Tyvek, but other materials appropriate to the object may be considered.

An interior box or crate within a crate may be used for high-valued objects to provide added protection against physical and environmental shock.

A tray system made of coroplast and Ethafoam bumpers can be employed to crate multiple framed works in one crate.
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Plywood trays can also be utilized for heavier objects.