ection class=”section section–cream”>
Home › Blog › How to Size a Shipping Tube for Your Contents
Buyer Guides
How to Size a Shipping Tube for Your Contents
The most common shipping-tube mistake is the wrong size — a tube too wide lets contents shift and dent, a tube too tight is hard to load and can crease the contents, and a wall too thin crushes. Getting the three dimensions right is what makes the difference between arrivals and claims.
Here’s how to size a tube for your contents.
Diameter: match the roll
Roll your contents as tightly as they’ll comfortably go, measure that diameter, and add a small clearance so it loads easily without flopping around. Too much clearance invites movement and damage; too little makes packing slow and risks creasing. When in doubt, send us the item.
Length: flat dimension plus clearance
The tube length should equal the contents’ flat dimension plus a little room for the caps and handling. Cutting tubes to length — which we do — beats forcing contents into a stock size or leaving them rattling in an oversized one.
Wall thickness: match the value and weight
Standard walls protect posters and prints; heavy-duty walls protect long, heavy, or irreplaceable contents. The heavier or more valuable the send, the thicker the wall and the more secure the cap should be.
The safest tube is a snug one: match the diameter and length to the contents and the wall to their value, and damage claims drop sharply.
Tell us what you’re shipping — or send the item’s rolled size — and we’ll spec the exact tube, with a free mockup within one business day.
More posts