You email a 38 MB proposal to a prospective client. It bounces. You resend after compressing, but now the cover page looks fuzzy. You scramble. The client's first impression is your scramble.
A five-step pre-send checklist prevents all of it.
Step 1: Compress to under 10 MB
Anything over 10 MB has a meaningful chance of bouncing or being filtered. Compress every external PDF to comfortably under 10 MB — 3 to 7 MB is the sweet spot for most documents.
If the compressed version looks worse, you started from too low a quality. Re-export the source at higher resolution, then compress with a more conservative setting.
Step 2: Flatten and protect signatures
If the PDF is signed, make sure the signature is flattened — embedded into the page, not on an editable layer. Sign and flatten with Flint in one pass.
An editable signature on an outbound client PDF is a small but real risk. Two seconds to check; permanent peace of mind.
Step 3: Password-protect if it carries sensitive data
Anything with financials, PII, or commercially sensitive numbers should be password-protected. Email the PDF; SMS or call the password separately. Belt and braces.
For public-facing material — sales decks, brochures — skip the password. Friction without benefit.
Step 4: Rename like a deliverable
`Acme_Proposal_2025-08-15.pdf` reads like a deliverable. `Final-FINAL-v3.pdf` does not. Take five seconds to name it like you'd want to receive it.
The filename is the first thing the client sees in their inbox. Make it confident.
Step 5: Send with intent
Email body: one sentence about what's attached, one about next steps. Don't make the client open the PDF to find out what it is. 'Attached is the proposal for the Q4 engagement. I'd love to walk through it on Thursday — calendar link below.'
That's it. Five steps, two minutes, every send looks intentional.
FAQ
When should I use a share link instead of an attachment?
Anything over 20 MB, or anything you want to track engagement on. For most professional services work, an attachment under 10 MB is faster and simpler.
Should I always password-protect?
No — only when the content is sensitive. Protecting marketing material wastes everyone's time and signals over-caution.
How do I send a large client deliverable that won't compress further?
Share via Drive, Dropbox or your client portal. Permissions matter — set view-only and expire access after the engagement ends.
Should I include a watermark on draft PDFs?
If the client is reviewing drafts, yes. A 'DRAFT' watermark prevents the draft from being mistaken for the final. Add it via Flint's edit tool.
Client delivery is a brand moment. A two-minute checklist makes it consistent. Prep your next deliverable in Flint and run the five-step pass.