CGC Instructions for Shipping a Poster

Are you getting ready to send your beloved poster to Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) for grading and encapsulation? There are a number of ways to ship posters, and CGC has seen some incredibly creative solutions! The steps below outline the method that the CGC experts recommend as the best way to ship your posters safely and efficiently.

Materials needed to ship one poster

To prepare one poster for shipping, you will need the following packing materials:

• One large shipping box
• Two flat cardboard sheets that are larger than your poster
• Two large, sturdy cardboard envelopes
• A clean plastic bag (polybags are the best)
• Packing and painter’s tape
• A tape measure

How to properly package and ship a flat poster

Follow these recommended steps to safely package and ship a flat poster to CGC.

1. Take a large, sturdy, flat sheet of cardboard that is larger than your poster and lay it on a clean workspace. Make sure the board is at least ½-inch to 1-inch larger than your poster.
2. Slide your poster inside the polybag and secure it with painter’s tape.
3. Place the poster in the center of the cardboard sheet.
4. Take a sturdy cardboard envelope and cut it diagonally (corner to opposite corner) to create corner sleeves for your poster to sit in. Example below: a submitter used USPS large flat rate envelopes to build their corner sleeves.
5. Secure the corner sleeves snugly around your poster. Then, tape the corners to the larger sheet of cardboard so the poster does not move.
6. Add the second flat cardboard sheet to the top of your poster and tape the two cardboard sheets together so that there is another layer to protect your poster.
7. Add your packing slip to the inside of your package. (If you are sending more than one poster, we recommend using painter’s tape to adhere the appropriate packing slip to each poster on the outside of the polybags.)
8. Add your prepared poster(s) to a shipping box, ensuring that there is not too much room for the poster(s) to slide around.
9. Add a shipping label on the side and write: FRAGILE, DO NOT BEND.
10. Get a shipping quote and send your package to CGC.

Ready to submit a poster to CGC for grading? Download the fillable submission form here.