Packaging guide for the Open Print Exchange
1. Pick your best prints
We suggest printing more than 10 prints, so that you can pick the 10 best ones to send in. That way, every participant gets a set of 9 high quality prints.
2. Number and sign each print.
Number each print from 1/10 to 10/10 in the bottom left corner with a pencil and sign in the bottom right corner. You can also write the title in the bottom middle. If you don’t have enough space, you can write all of this information on the back of the print as well.
3. Write your print number on the back
Each print needs to have your unique print number on the back so we can match it with your information. This is also how others will be able to find out more about you and your print on the website! Please write them in easy-to-read large numbers and underline them to indicate the correct orientation (to avoid mistaking a 6 for a 9 for example).
If you can’t find your print number, please look for an email titled “Your print number for the Open Print Exchange” sent by noreply@sendowl.com. It might take up to 30 minutes to arrive after signing up. Please also check your spam folder and contact us at team@openpressproject.com if you can’t find it.
4. Wrap your prints in tissue paper
We noticed that this style of packaging works well to secure the prints and makes it easy for us to unpack without damaging them.
5. Use a regular envelope to send your prints
Surprisingly, we found that regular letters were the best choice for shipping your prints. All prints fit in a regular letter and got delivered quickly and without problems last year. Deliveries from FedEx, UPS & Co have not been as smooth and are a lot more expensive for you and for us (customs and horrific handling fees). Communicating with them was very time-consuming as well, so oftentimes regular letters were much faster. That’s why we ask you to not use FedEx & Co to send your prints.
Please double check the requirements of your local postal service regarding format, thickness and postage for envelopes, as this varies from country to country.
Write “Printed Matter”, “No commercial value” and your print number (so that we know it without opening the letter) somewhere on the envelope and address it to:
Open Print Projects
Roonstr. 43
50674 Cologne
Germany
6. Use cardboard to secure prints
A small piece of card is useful to keep the prints safe. Please use only a little bit of tape so we can open it easily.
7. Send it to us!
That’s it! Please wait until the beginning of January to send your prints to avoid the Christmas Chaos. 4 weeks should be enough time for them to arrive, all prints have to be at our office in Cologne before March 1st.
If you have any questions, please check out the FAQ section first. After that, you can always reach us at team@openpressproject.com.
Happy Printing!