Why can’t I send InDesign files as email attachments?
A layout is the arrangement of text and images on a page. INDD stores that arrangement. Images are often outside the file. Cover, product, and ad images are in the Links folder. Adding them brings the package over 1 GB. Gmail does not accept attachments over 25 MB, and Outlook does not accept attachments over approximately 20 MB.
Sending only the document is the most common mistake. The recipient opens the file, but the images are missing, fonts change, and text reflows. Converting it to PDF without providing the source also prevents later revisions.
The printer and anyone making later revisions need the folder you packaged.
| Sharing method | What happens | For magazines and catalogs |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail or Outlook attachment | Attachments over 20–25 MB won’t send | Not suitable |
| INDD only | Linked images and fonts may be missing | Risky |
| Print PDF only | Printing can begin, but the page layout cannot be edited | For printing only; not a substitute for source files |
| Shared drive | The file may remain available; an account may be required | Use with care |
| SendGB link | The package is not opened; the folder structure stays intact | Suitable for handoff |
The example above is a catalog with an INDD file, an IDML file, a print PDF, a cover, and one product image. If the cover is in Photoshop, see how to send Photoshop files. If the logo is in Illustrator, see how to send Illustrator files.
Should I send only the INDD file or the whole package?
The Package command gathers the document, images, and font files into one folder. You run the command to package InDesign files for sharing. We don’t open InDesign. We don’t look for missing images. We send the folder unchanged.
Include the print PDF in the same transfer. That copy is the file used in production. The INDD file is for later revisions. We don’t create the PDF. See how to send PDF files for a separate guide.
| INDD only | Packaged folder | |
|---|---|---|
| What is sent | Page layout | Document, Links folder, fonts |
| Opening the file | Missing-file or missing-font warnings may appear | Images are found if they are in the folder |
| Older versions | May not open without IDML | IDML is included if you add it |
| Printing | A separate PDF is needed | PDF is available through the same link if you include it |
| What we do | We don’t open the file | We don’t create the package |
Bleed is the area extending beyond the page edge to prevent white lines after trimming. If it is saved in the document, it stays intact. We don’t measure or add it. We don’t alter color information, either. The appearance may change if the recipient’s screen is different.
Images and fonts need to go together
Do not separate the Links folder from the package. If font files are included in the package, they must stay in the same folder too.
| Item | Where it is stored | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| INDD | The package’s main file | The layout is not included |
| Image in Links | In the same folder | An empty frame appears on the page |
| File linked through an absolute path | On your computer | The recipient cannot find it; we don’t repair the link |
| Font | Included if you added it to the package | Text may reflow |
| IDML | The copy you saved | An older version may not open the file |
| Print PDF | The copy you exported | The printer has to open the source file |
If the font license does not allow you to send the file, do not put it in the folder. We don’t check licenses.
If you use a book file, all chapters must be in the folder. INDB alone does not gather the chapters. We don’t update those links.
The folder structure stays intact when the recipient downloads the entire transfer. Clicking a single image downloads only that file. If you have many product images, the free limit is 500 files. See how to send folders for details.
Is 5 GB enough for a catalog?
5 GB is often enough for a single issue or catalog. It may not be enough for a full year’s worth of issues. The limit is based on total size and file count, not page count. We don’t guarantee how many issues or catalogs will fit.
| What you are sending | Typical size | Which option is enough |
|---|---|---|
| A short brochure | Tens of MB | Free, no sign-up, up to 90 days |
| A catalog, cover, and a few product images | Hundreds of MB, sometimes 1–2 GB | Free |
| Linked high-resolution images | Can be several GB | Free if within the limit |
| A year’s worth of issues | May exceed 5 GB | SendGB Extra, 500 GB per transfer |
| An archive over 500 GB | One transfer | SendGB Exceed, up to 1 TB |
SendGB Extra starts at €29.90 per year. It includes 2,500 files and 1 TB of storage. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year. It is suitable for studios that send packages frequently.
SendGB Exceed does not require a subscription. A 1 TB transfer costs €9.99. You can send 2,500 files. The code can be used once and is valid for 1 year. The link stays available for 7 days. It is enough for an occasional very large archive.
If you enter your email address, you receive one notification when a download starts. With email delivery, you are notified once per recipient. With link delivery, you are notified once per transfer. If the same person downloads again, you do not receive another email. The notification does not confirm that the download finished.
How to send
- 1
Create the package
In InDesign, choose the packaging command from the File menu. In the English interface, this command is called Package. Add the resulting folder to the upload box. The free limit is 5 GB total.
- 2
Send the link
Email the link to your printer or client, or copy it into a message. If you add a password, send the password separately from the link. If you enter your own email address, you receive one notification when a download starts.
- 3
The recipient downloads the files
The recipient downloads from the link and does not create an account. INDD and IDML files do not open on the download page. A PDF you include can be viewed. To edit the layout, the recipient downloads the package and opens it in InDesign. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year.
What happens to your file?
- We don’t alter the file. The page layout, image links, and bleed remain intact.
- INDD, IDML, and the print PDF go in the same transfer. We don’t create the PDF.
- If you add the package folder, its structure stays intact when downloaded together.
- If you enter your email address, you receive one notification when someone starts downloading.
What we don’t do
- We don’t open files in InDesign. We don’t create the package, repair missing links, or embed fonts.
- INDD and IDML files do not open on the download page. You add the PDF for viewing.
- An image linked through an absolute path on your computer may still be missing on the recipient’s computer.
- A download notification does not confirm that the download finished. If the same person downloads again, you do not receive a second email.
Frequently asked questions
Is sending only the INDD file enough?
No. INDD stores the page layout. Linked images and fonts are often stored outside the file. Without them, the recipient sees missing-file or missing-font warnings. Run the Package command in InDesign yourself. We don’t create that folder.
What does the Package command do?
It gathers the document, images in the Links folder, and font files into one folder. InDesign does this when you run the command. You add that folder to the upload box. We don’t supply missing images.
Should I include an IDML file?
Include one if the recipient uses an older version of InDesign. You save the IDML file yourself. We don’t convert INDD to IDML. Neither format opens on the download page. The recipient opens them in their own software.
Can I send the print PDF and source files together?
Yes, if you add them to the same transfer. The PDF is the copy used for printing. The INDD file is for later revisions. We don’t create the PDF. If the file includes bleed, it stays intact. We don’t measure or add it.
Are fonts included in the transfer?
They are included if they are in the package folder. We don’t embed them in the file. If the license does not allow sharing, do not put the font in the folder. You need to resolve this before sending so the text does not reflow. We don’t check licenses.
Can linked images still be missing?
If the image is in the Links folder and you send the entire folder, the file path stays intact when everything is downloaded together. If the image is linked through an absolute path on your computer, it may still be missing on the recipient’s computer. We don’t repair that link. Clicking a single file downloads only that file.
Can I send an InDesign book file?
An INDB book file downloads unchanged. The chapter files must be in the same folder. We don’t update the book’s links. If a chapter is missing, the recipient cannot open those pages.
How do I get around Gmail’s 25 MB attachment limit?
Don’t attach the package to the email. Cover and product images exceed that limit. Create the transfer and paste the short link. The file is not included in the message itself.
Does the recipient need an Adobe account, and why are the files so large?
No account is needed to download. InDesign is required to edit the pages. The INDD file itself is often small. Linked high-resolution images make the package larger. A catalog can exceed 1 GB. We don’t guarantee how many catalogs will fit. Free transfers are limited to 5 GB and 500 files.
Which option should I choose if 5 GB isn’t enough?
A single catalog often fits within 5 GB. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. For a year’s worth of issues or very high-resolution linked images, you need SendGB Extra. It offers 500 GB per transfer, 2,500 files, and 1 TB of storage. It starts at €29.90 per year. Files are kept for up to 1 year. For a single archive over 500 GB, SendGB Exceed is enough: no subscription, €9.99 for a 1 TB transfer, 2,500 files, and a code that can be used once and is valid for 1 year. The link stays available for 7 days.
Send an InDesign download link, not an email attachment
A catalog package may fit within 5 GB. A larger archive can be sent with SendGB Extra up to 500 GB, or with SendGB Exceed up to 1 TB in a single transfer.
Start sending