[NL] RAJA’s quick guide to cardboard tubes

Do you need to ship long and narrow items with regularity? And are you still looking for the ideal packaging solution? Chances are, cardboard tubes are the best solution for you then. There is nothing easier to pack and protect your long products with! In this practical guide, we will show you which types of tubes you can choose from at RAJA and which are best suited to your activities.

1. What do you pack in cardboard tubes?

A plastic tube or cardboard tube is in many cases the best solution for shipping long and narrow products. It protects your items from knocks, tears, dirt and moisture like no other. If you sell any of the products listed below, then a shipping tube is definitely for you:

Posters and large posters,
Cards or calendars,
Rolls of wallpaper, fabric
Large format documents (such as technical drawings or blueprints),
Long metal or mechanical parts,
Works of art, drawings, painting canvases, etc.

Did you know...

Most plastic or cardboard tubes can be closed with a simple 'plug'? With that, you can easily seal both ends of the tube. These plugs are also reusable, which means you can open and close the tube as often as you like. Other mailing tubes have a closure with an integrated adhesive strip. Once closed, any attempt to open the container again will be clearly visible.

Sluiting van koker met plug of sluitstrip

2. Which shipping tube is best to choose?

In the world of cardboard tubes, you have more choice than you might think. Will it be a round tube, a square model or one with a triangular shape? RAJA’s specialists selected for you the most popular variants with which you can safely pack and ship your items.

Round cardboard tube .	. –The most popular tube: immediately ready for use. –Shockproof thanks to spiral-wrapped cardboard. –Quickly opened and closed by the plugs with pull tab. –Environmentally friendly : made of recycled paper.
Triangular tube .	. –The most practical tube: make maximum use of your available storage or shipping space. –Ideal for practical archiving. – Does notroll away! –With adhesive strip for quick and permanent closure. –Environmentally friendly : made of FSC certified paper.
Square cardboard tube	. –The most stable tube: perfectly stackable. –Ideal for practical archiving. – Does notroll away! –With adhesive strip for quick closure + tear-off perforation for quick opening. –Environmentally friendly : made of recycled paper.
Square reinforced tube	. –The strongest tube: ideal for fragile products. – Does notroll away! –Quickly opened and closed by the plastic plugs. –Made of 2 mm thick spiral-wound cardboard.

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3. Here’s how to avoid extra costs when shipping cardboard tubes

If you send your cardboard tube with a standard courier service such as postNL, be aware that there are certain maximum dimensions you need to take into account. That way you avoid an extra surcharge. For example, the following rules apply to large parcels:

Parcels up to 10 kg can be a maximum of 100 x 50 x 50 cm. If your parcel is larger, you will pay the rate of a heavier parcel.
Parcels weighing 10-31.5 kg may not exceed 176 x 78 x 58 cm. Larger and heavier parcels can be sent as freight.

Moreover, your courier may charge an additional postal surcharge for round cardboard tubes. This is because round parcels cannot usually be processed automatically by mail sorting machines. This requires manual handling, which entails a somewhat higher cost. Can you avoid such a postal surcharge? Certainly! You have two simple solutions to choose from:

Choose a square cardboard tube that also complies with the maximum dimensions of your courier service. In the video below you can see how easy it is to fold, fill, close and open these tubes.
Choose an ‘anti-roll tube‘. You can easily attach these around a tube so it can no longer roll away. This eliminates the need for extra manual handling in postal sorting centres.

4. Three tips for wrapping your large documents or posters

Whether your choice fell on a round, square or triangular tube, packing large documents or posters still requires some special points of attention. From our own experience, we collected three tips here that will ensure that your items reach their final destination in perfect condition.

First wrap your poster in a plastic sleeve to further protect it from moisture and possible tears
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Or wrap your poster in silk paper or kraft paper for protection and a nice finish. You can also use these materials as padding at both ends of the mailing tube.
If necessary, use an elastic to secure everything around the poster. Make sure the elastic is not too tight to avoid damaging your product.

And there you go! With this, you have become a real specialist in packaging with cardboard tubes. You are now all set to start packaging and shipping your posters, cards, textiles and so much more yourself.

Buy your tubes easily online here