Everything in the table came from a live calculator run on 2026-07-27 for the tube dimensions shown. Swap in your own tube for a current figure.
A real tube, quoted end to end
We entered poster in a shipping tube for the Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303 lane and copied the output here without edits.
What we typed
Poster in shipping tube
The estimate assumes a standard 24 x 36 print rolled into a tube around 3 inches across.
Packed box it returned
25.6 × 3.1 × 3.1 in
65 × 8 × 8 cm
Just 1.1 lb (0.5 kg), tube included.
Route
Newark, NJ 07102
to Atlanta, GA 30303
A two-state hop down the East Coast keeps this near the bottom of the rate card.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground | $11.07 | 3-4 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $12.72 | about 4 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $16.37 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Express Saver | $19.09 | 2-3 business days |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $19.93 | 2-3 business days |
Notice Ground beating Ground Saver on this run. At the feather-light end of the scale the usual hierarchy flips sometimes, which is exactly why quoting beats assuming.
Tube craft in three habits
Choose the fat tube
A 3 inch diameter rolls the print looser, and looser rolls relax flat faster on arrival. Skinny mailing tubes fight you at both ends.
Cap, tape, shake
After capping both ends, shake the tube hard. Any rattle means the roll can telescope against the caps, so add paper until silence.
Label along the barrel
Stick the label lengthwise, not wrapped around the curve, so barcodes scan flat on the first pass and the tube skips manual handling.
Poster questions, answered plainly
How much does it cost to ship a poster?
The tube in our example ran $11.07 to $19.93 from Newark, NJ to Atlanta, GA on 2026-07-27, with UPS Ground cheapest. A longer tube for an oversize print costs a few dollars more, not multiples.
Is a tube better than a flat mailer?
For anything larger than about 18 inches, yes. Flat mailers crease at the corners under other packages, while a decent tube shrugs off stacking. Small prints travel fine flat between two pieces of chipboard.
How do I roll a poster safely?
Roll it loosely around itself with the printed face inward, wrap a sheet of kraft paper around the roll, and slide it in so it can expand against the tube wall. Cap both ends and tape the caps.
Do signed or limited prints need anything extra?
Add shipping protection for the replacement value during checkout and consider the faster services in the table, since fewer days in transit means fewer handoffs.