You tried to attach a PDF to Gmail. Gmail says it's too large and suggests Drive instead. You want a real attachment, not a link.
What's actually going wrong
Gmail caps attachments at 25MB total per email. Files above the limit get redirected to Google Drive automatically — the file uploads to your Drive and the email includes a share link rather than a true attachment.
For most PDFs, the size comes from uncompressed embedded images. Compressible.
The quick fix
Compress PDF in Flint. Most files come down 60-90%. A 40MB PDF often becomes 4-8MB — well under Gmail's limit. Attach the compressed file and Gmail accepts it as a true attachment.
For scanned documents, compression is even more dramatic. 100MB scans typically come down to 8-15MB.
If that didn't work
If compression doesn't get it under 25MB, split the PDF into two emails. Recipients merge them back if needed.
For PDFs that must stay whole and are too large even compressed, accept the Drive route. Set sharing to 'anyone with the link' so non-Google recipients can download.
Prevent it next time
Compress every PDF before attaching. Use B&W scanning for text documents. And keep cloud storage handy for the rare file genuinely above 25MB.
FAQ
Is Gmail's limit per file or per email?
Total per email across all attachments. One 25MB file or five 5MB files both count toward the same limit.
Will the recipient see a difference between attachment and Drive link?
Yes — Drive shows as a thumbnail-link rather than file icon. Most users don't care; some corporate filters block Drive links. Real attachments are more universally compatible.
Does compression hurt quality?
Flint preserves text sharpness and downsamples images to screen resolution — invisible during normal reading. For office documents, no perceptible loss.
Why does Gmail force Drive for large files?
Email servers can't reliably handle huge attachments; Drive provides cloud storage with link-based sharing as a workaround. Convenient but different from true email attachment.
Stay under 25MB with Flint's compressor. Real attachments, no Drive workaround.