Getting the models to us safely is the one part of the job you do. Here's how to do it right.
Ready to paint. Assembled and cleaned models are the simplest. Remove mould lines if you can, but don't worry if not, we check every model on arrival.
On sprue. Send the boxes as they are and we build them for $0.25 to $4 a model depending on complexity. Keep the instruction sheets in the box.
Already primed or partly painted. Fine. Tell us in the quote form whether you want it stripped or painted over, and send a photo.
STL files only. Nothing to ship. Share a folder link in the quote form and we print, cure and paint in one order.
Don't own it yet. Send the list and we buy the kits at 8% under retail. They never pass through your house.
Loose bits you don't want painted, extra sprue frames, rulebooks, dice and cases. Anything in the box gets inventoried and shipped back, which costs you postage. If a model has magnetised options, send only the options you want painted, bagged and labelled by model.
Bag by unit. One zip bag per unit, labelled with a marker: "10 Intercessors, Battle Ready". This matches how you filled in the quote form and lets us confirm the inventory against it the day the box arrives.
Wrap anything fragile. Characters, banners, spears and antennae get their own bag with a twist of bubble wrap. Vehicles go in their original box if you have it, or wrapped in bubble wrap with the turret removed.
Fill the void. Bags go into a sturdy outer box with crumpled paper or packing peanuts so nothing shifts. If you can shake the box and hear movement, add more filler. Foam trays are ideal if you already own them, and they come back with the army.
Print the list. Put a copy of your quote or unit list inside the box, on top. It speeds up intake and it's the record we photograph against.
The intake address comes with your quote once the deposit is paid. Use a tracked service and insure the parcel for the replacement value of the models. Inside the US, USPS Priority Mail medium and large flat-rate boxes fit most armies and include tracking and $100 of insurance. Email the tracking number to support@rankandfilepainting.com and we'll confirm the day it lands.
Return shipping is quoted at cost, insured, foam-packed by unit with a printed inventory. Damage in transit on the way back is on us: photograph the box and contents before unpacking further and email us within three days.
Check that every unit bag matches a line in your quote, that any reference photos or colour scheme notes are in the quote form rather than in the box, and that magnetised options are labelled. Then send it and forget about it: you'll get an inventory photo on arrival and a painted test model before anything else starts.