<p>There is no reason to assume it will cause problems as long as the fixative has had sufficient drying time (as indicated on the can or bottle).<br />
You will likely face more problems without fixing it, as the graphite will smudge, especially with the drawing rolled up.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-14T11:29:17.007Z
2022-10-15T15:01:56.123Z
2022-10-15T15:01:56.123Z
Joachim
<p>Fixative only takes 5-7 minutes to dry thoroughly. If the graphite drawing isn't sprayed with fixative and is shipped, it could cause smudging once the piece is rolled up.</p>
<p>It can be common for buyers for example, to receive a rolled up piece of canvas, and get it stretched to fit a frame. Haven't heard of having a buyer spray fixative, or sealer themselves on a finished piece. It seems like it would be more of the artist to finish the piece before shipping. Unless of course, it was given to someone that preserves art.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-15T01:51:31.580Z
2020-08-15T01:51:31.580Z
Lyssagal
<p>I'm about to finish up a graphite drawing I was commissioned to draw and my customer doesn't live close enough to give them the drawing in person. So, I need to roll it up and ship it to them. Will rolling a drawing that has been sprayed with a fixative cause any problems?</p>

<drawing><preservation><graphite>
Should I spray my graphite drawing with fixative before shipping it or should I advise my customer to spray it when it arrives?
Faith
# Should I spray my graphite drawing with fixative before shipping it or should I advise my customer to spray it when it arrives?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-14)

I'm about to finish up a graphite drawing I was commissioned to draw and my customer doesn't live close enough to give them the drawing in person. So, I need to roll it up and ship it to them. Will rolling a drawing that has been sprayed with a fixative cause any problems?

**Tags:** drawing, preservation, graphite


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-14. Score: 5

There is no reason to assume it will cause problems as long as the fixative has had sufficient drying time (as indicated on the can or bottle).  
You will likely face more problems without fixing it, as the graphite will smudge, especially with the drawing rolled up.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-15. Score: 5

Fixative only takes 5-7 minutes to dry thoroughly. If the graphite drawing isn't sprayed with fixative and is shipped, it could cause smudging once the piece is rolled up.

It can be common for buyers for example, to receive a rolled up piece of canvas, and get it stretched to fit a frame. Haven't heard of having a buyer spray fixative, or sealer themselves on a finished piece. It seems like it would be more of the artist to finish the piece before shipping. Unless of course, it was given to someone that preserves art.


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