Have you ever been in a bind when it came to selecting materials for shipping? I specifically ship paper products such as prints, stickers and cards that require packaging to prevent bending during shipping, so please note that this list is more biased towards shipping those materials. I have been running my Etsy store for a little over a year now and I found that the following shipping supplies have worked well for me so far:

Rigid Mailers

Uline is my go-to supplier for most of my shipping products. Their shipping and handling costs are a bit pricey, but my order arrives fast (1-2 day shipping). Alternatively, you can opt in for store pickup if you live near one of their warehouses. I researched products similar to Uline’s rigid mailers on Amazon, but after comparing products and prices, it seems that Uline offers the best deal for both quantity and quality. These rigid mailers are also convenient with the self-adhesive flap and pull-tab tear strip.

Small Rigid Mailers

I use these envelopes to ship stickers, magnets, cards and small art prints. They are perfect for preventing bending and other damage during shipping. I compared the cost of shipping rigid mailers vs bubble mailer pouches and I didn’t notice a big difference in shipping costs. The one disadvantage is the these envelopes are pricier than bubble mailers, but I feel like these payoff in the long run because they help prevent the most shipping damage. If you ship things other than paper materials, then the bubble mailer should work fine for you. The bubble mailers are malleable and will fit in small PO Boxes. I’ve ordered from Etsy stores that use mail bubble envelopes for paper-type products and my purchases always arrived in perfect condition. So really, it’s up to you on what you prefer to use.

Large Rigid Mailers

These envelopes have all of the same benefits as the smaller rigid mailers in that they help prevent a lot of potential damage during shipping. I use these to ship coloring books and my larger art prints and so far have not had an issue with them getting bent in the mail.

Purchase rigid mailers in a variety of sizes here

Do Not Bend Labels

These DO NOT BEND fluorescent-colored labels come in a roll ordered from Uline. I apply these to packages when I ship out coloring books and art prints. It’s not absolutely necessary to have these, but it really helps look like you put in the extra effort to display care in your shipping. Let’s face it, a package can get bent or damaged regardless of what you place on the package, but at least it looks better on your end because you at least tried to prevent it. You can find these labels in any shipping store or on Amazon.

ClearBags Sleeves and Bags

ClearBags has great deals and vast selection on all of your clear bag needs! I use a variety of self-adhesive sleeves for my art prints, coloring books, and greeting cards. I use a non sealable sleeve to pack my sticker and magnet orders. Remember when you (or the same group of lucky students whose parents ALWAYS ordered them new books every month) used to get book orders from the Scholastic catalog in elementary school and the new books were delivered in a clear plastic bag? Well, I get to recreate that same fun feeling when I pack my coloring books in those similar sleeves! Of course, the plastic sleeves also helps protect your products during shipping, so that’s always a plus.

Shop for clear plastic sleeves, bags, etc. here

Stationery

One of the benefits of selling on Etsy (or if you run your own online store) is that you package everything yourself and can include any personal touches with each order. I designed my own Thank You stationery and use it for hand-written notes. Because my printer can’t be trusted, I get these printed and cut at Office Depot.

I add some finishing touches to each order by applying a sticker of my logo to the back of the envelope. Again, not necessary, but it adds a fun little personal touch. I’ve seen other Etsy stores get super creative with applying their branding to orders, whether it be stickers, custom stamps, postcards, etc. I order my 1.5 inch logo stickers from Moo. Moo prints high quality stationery products with your own custom designs.

I hope this article helped provide you with some useful shipping supply tips! I’d love to hear from you if you had any other suggestions, just send a message from the contact form on the home page! (I’m hoping to have a comments feature integrated here soon.)