Gmail says your PDF is too large. The compose window suggests Drive instead. You want to attach it cleanly. The file is 32MB. Gmail caps at 25.
What's actually going wrong
Gmail allows 25MB total attachment per email — across all attachments combined. Files over the limit trigger Google Drive integration: Gmail uploads the file to Drive and inserts a share link instead of a real attachment.
Drive links work but they're a different experience for recipients (one-click vs file). For some workflows, real attachments matter.
The quick fix
Compress the PDF in Flint. A 32MB file usually comes down to 5-10MB. Re-attach and Gmail accepts it as a real attachment.
For scanned documents, compression is even more dramatic — 80MB scans often become 8MB without visible quality loss.
If that didn't work
If compression doesn't bring it under 25MB, split the document. Split PDF into halves or chapters, attach the parts to separate emails. Recipients can merge them back if needed.
For truly enormous PDFs that need to stay whole, accept the Drive link route. Set the link to 'Anyone with the link' for recipients without Google accounts (or 'Restricted' for sensitive content with specific recipients).
Prevent it next time
Compress every PDF as a habit before attaching. Scan in black-and-white for text documents — colour scans run 5-10x larger. And keep an eye on Gmail's attachment indicator while composing — it warns before you commit.
FAQ
What's Gmail's exact attachment size limit?
25MB total per email across all attachments combined. Files over that trigger automatic Drive upload.
Is the Drive link as good as a real attachment?
For most recipients, yes — they click the link, download the file. But some corporate spam filters strip Drive links, and recipients on slow connections sometimes have trouble. Real attachments are more universally compatible.
Can the recipient see I used Drive instead of attaching?
Yes — the link appears as a Drive thumbnail rather than an attachment icon. Most people don't notice or care, but it's visible if they look.
Will compressing affect the PDF's quality?
Flint's compressor downsamples images to screen resolution which is invisible to readers. Text stays sharp. For typical office documents, no visible quality change.
Don't let 25MB stop you. Compress in Flint and your PDFs attach cleanly to Gmail.