Building a low cost, lightweight print shipping box

Many salons today are requiring additional fees for entry when heavy shipping boxes or cases are used. I found it difficult to find lightweight cases available on the open market that were sufficiently strong, cheap and suitable for multiple uses. This prompted me to try and build one of my own. The first one was made several years ago and so far I have used it for at least five salons. It's beginning to show signs of wear now but it's not ready to be retired yet!

In addition to the prime requirement of being lightweight, I set a goal that the shipping box should not cost over $3 to build, preferably less. It also should be able to be built using basic tools and materials that are readily available.

To build the box, I started with a sheet of corrugated board, 3 feet by 4 feet. My supplier only had it available in a 4 by 6 foot sheet for $4, so I had him cut it into two pieces, giving me enough for two cases. (This also let me get it in my car.) Probably your best sources for the board are some of the small packaging franchises like "Boxes Plus," "Mail Boxes Etc.," "Post Pak Express" or the local agent of one of the major van lines, like United or Allied. All of these firms need to stock corrugated board for their special packaging requirements.

Once you have your 3 by 4 foot board, cut a 6-inch wide by 36-inch long strip (Fig. I "A") [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] off the end and then cut another 5 1/4 inch wide by 42 inches long strip off the long side (Fig. I "B") [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] of the remaining piece. These two strips will be used later to finish up the box. You should now have a piece of corrugated board measuring 30 3/4 by 42 inches long, which is exactly the right size to make the body of the box (Fig. I "C") [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED].

Lay out the box "flat" in accordance with Fig. I. This will give you a 22 3/4 by 18 3/4 inch center panel, two "L" shaped side flaps, a large 16 3/4-inch top flap and a smaller 6 1/2-inch bottom flap.

If you happen to have a matt cutter capable of handling a full sheet of matt board, you can make all of the necessary cuts nice and square and very easily. However, if you do not have a matt cutter, a metal straight edge, (a 24-inch carpenters framing square works well) and a utility knife or X-acto knife (with a new sharp blade) will work just fine - it just takes a little longer. Be sure to put a back-up board under the corrugated board when cutting to protect your table and your blade tip.

Once your "flat" cutout is finished you need to make the protective strips that will surround your mounted prints. Please see Fig. II "D." The shipping box is intended to hold four 16 by 20 mounted prints. Three thicknesses of board, as shown in "D" gives a depth of about 1/2 inch, which is adequate but near minimum. If you mount your photographs on thicker board or with a second aperture matt, or just want a looser fit, you should consider a four-thickness depth. You must decide now whether you will use three or four board thicknesses for the protective strips.

Now take the two cutoff pieces "A" and "B" (Fig. I) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] from which you will make the protective strips. The shorter piece (A) will make six, 1-inch wide by 18 1/2-inch long strips, enough for the right and left sides of the box for a "three deep" style. The longer piece (B) will make up to eight 20 3/8-inch long strips for the top and bottom, plus an additional two pieces of the shorter 18 1/2-inch strips if a "four deep" box is desired.

Glue the strips together (I used Elmer's Glue) to the desired thickness, making sure to square them up on the sides and ends. Put a weight on them to insure a good bond or, if you have a ceiling tile stapler, drive three or four staples into each stack to snug them up.

While the 1-inch wide stacks are drying, you need to "score" the flap bend lines. There are two bends on each of the four flaps. The first one is right along the outside edge of where the protective strip stack will go (Fig. II) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] and the other is distance "X" beyond. In the case of a three-deep stack, "X" will be 11/16 inch for the two side flaps (2) and 13/16 inch for the top and bottom flaps (1) and (3). You must add another 1/8 inch to each dimension if you are making a four-stack box.

A light "score" should be made with the tip of your X-acto knife, cutting no more than about a third of the way into the corrugated board. The cut should be made on the top surface or what will be the inside of the box in order to insure smooth outside comers. Now fold up on all of the "score" lines. You could use your steel straight edge or framing square to help make clean, sharp bends.

If your protective strip stacks are dry now, you can glue them in place, starting with the two shorter, or side strips. Stand the flaps up and place the strips snugly right in the bends you have just made on the side flaps. Next, glue the two longer strip stacks at the top and bottom, also right in the bends you have just made on the top and bottom flaps, (1) and (3).

Place some glue on the top of the side strip stacks, refold side flaps up and then over on the second "score" line, pressing them in place. Hold, staple or place under a weight to secure the joint. When dry, fold up bottom flap (3), while placing some glue on top of the wide part of the side flaps, then fold over the bottom flap on the second "score" mark and hold, staple or place under a weight to secure this joint.

Finally, to strengthen the cover "hinge," place a 22 3/4-inch long piece of cloth, or other durable tape, over this joint. A two-inch wide tape works quite well. Now fold the top flap over on the second "score" line to close up the box.

By opening the top flap, your prints can be slid into the pocket and then the top flap can be folded down and secured with a piece of plastic package tape. I also mark the box with an arrow and the note, "Slit Tape Here To Open."

You now have a lightweight (a little under 1 1/4 pounds) shipping box which should serve you well for a number of exhibitions, and when you finally do have to replace it, you won't go broke. You can also build one of these boxes for 8 by 10 prints too - just scale the dimensions down to size.

Richard H. Mueller 4195 Chaucer Lane Columbus, OH 43220

COPYRIGHT 1995 Photographic Society of America, Inc.
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