Most prints and posters are rolled to ship, but you'll want to flatten them when you get them. If you just roll the print in the opposite direction it will flatten but there’s a good chance that the paper will bruise.  What can you do?

You can buy a Beinfang De-Roller, for $250, but unless you’re de-rolling lots of prints, it is hard to justify the cost.  But you have most of what you need when you receive your rolled print. 

The idea is to de-roll the print by rolling it in the opposite direction of the curl evenly along the entire edge of the print—holding it against a hard round surface to keep from damaging the print.  And, you want to do this without touching the image, to prevent oils from your hands getting on the print.

So, here's how:

1) Take a piece of Kraft paper—we prefer the heavier weight over gift wrap—about 2 1/2 to 3 times longer than your print.

2) Fold the paper in half so that you have long folder.

3) Make sure the outside of the shipping tube is smooth, with nothing on it that could bruise your print.  Then tape the folded edge to the shipping tube—making sure the folded edge is parallel to the length of the tube. 

4)  Roll the tube to flatten the Kraft paper.  Keep the paper rolled for a few minutes.  Unroll.

5) Now for flattening the print:

• Place the tube and Kraft paper folder on a flat clean surface of a table or counter top.
• Lift the top sheet of the folder back.
• Place your print or poster curl side up on the bottom sheet.
• Lay the top sheet of the folder over the print—leave about 6” between the inside edge of the folder and the closest edge of the print.
• Keeping the tube flat on the table or counter top, carefully roll the tube.
• Keep the print rolled for a few minutes.
• When you unroll the print if it is still curled, repeat steps a-f.  If the far edge of the print is curled, turn the print 180° and repeat steps a-f.

The time you need to keep the print rolled will depend on lots of things, the kind of paper, how long it was rolled originally, the humidity, etc. 

Keep in mind, however, that now you have a flat print and you'll want to protect it flat, or reroll it. 

We sell prints, and this is the information we give our customers.  We also include a piece of Kraft paper, folded and taped to the shipping tube.  We feel the more you know the better your choices will be. 

To read our other guides, click Guides.