How To Get Flat Packaging?

Interested as well, following

My guess is, it is not an option. But that is only a guess. FAA does the things they do very well. Deviating from what they do, is not one them things.

I can't speak for FAA but in my own business there are a few problems I have run into over the years. Shipping flat usually cost more in materials, time and shipping. Then it is more likely to get damaged. That has been my experience in shipping thousands and thousands of packages over the years.

We will do it but the buyer has to pay more for the handling and more for the shipping. Usually when you tell them that, they are not interested but I can't remember ever losing a sale because of it. They either pay the extra of go with the standard shipping.

Rolled prints used to be more of a problem. But with modern day presses it is not that big of a deal any more. Not on good quality paper and open edition prints. Expensive limited editions are a different story.

I recently received 7 prints that were ordered rolled in a tube to save cost on shipping. The total shipping cost was $10.50 which comes out to a pretty reasonable cost per print. These were all 14 - 16 inches on the long side. The surprise was that they arrived in flat packaging in a box that was 27 x 30 x 2 1/2 inches with the prints suspended between two sheet of cardboard and held away from all edges. The box took a beating on the way here but the inside was perfect.
I think the reason that it came flat boxed is that one of the prints is on watercolor paper which is very thick and probably would not do well rolled in a tube.
All of my other orders have come rolled in a tube and they flatten out quite nicely after they lay out for a couple of days.

"watercolor paper which is very thick and probably would not do well rolled in a tube. "

This is very often the case. I sell prints for artist that insist on printing on very heavy watercolor paper. I would never try to roll them and and put them in a tube.