# How to send PDF files

PDF (Portable Document Format) files are often too big for email and chat apps. Here is how big they get and how to send them exactly as they are.

_Source: https://sharelargefilesfree.com/send-pdf-files · Updated 2026-10-13_

**Quick answer:** To send a large PDF file, upload it to Share Large Video Files (up to 20 GB, no account) and share the download link: the file arrives unchanged. A scanned or image-heavy PDF is about 40 MB, more than most email providers accept.

## What is a PDF file?

PDF is the universal format for documents that must look the same everywhere: contracts, reports, portfolios, print-ready artwork, scanned paperwork and e-books. It keeps fonts, layout and images fixed, whatever device opens it.

A text-only PDF is tiny, but PDFs grow fast with **scanned pages** (each page is an image), high-resolution photos and print settings with bleed and uncompressed images. That is why a portfolio or a scanned file often goes over the 20 to 25 MB attachment limit of most email services.

Extensions: .pdf.

## How big are PDF files?

| File | Typical size |
| --- | --- |
| A 20-page text report | under 1 MB to a few MB |
| A 50-page document scanned in colour at 300 dpi | roughly 25 to 100 MB, depending on the scanner's compression |
| A photography or design portfolio | roughly 20 to 200 MB |
| A print-ready magazine or book PDF | roughly 100 MB to 1 GB |

## Which apps can send one?

Can you send a scanned or image-heavy PDF (about 40 MB) as an attachment?

| App | Limit | Fits? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gmail | 25 MB per email | No, send a link |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB per email | No, send a link |
| WhatsApp (document) | 2 GB per file | Yes |
| Telegram | 2 GB per file | Yes |
| Facebook Messenger | 100 MB per file | Yes |
| Discord (free) | 20 MB per file | No, send a link |
| Slack | 1 GB per file | Yes |
| WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer | Yes |
| **Share Large Video Files** | 20 GB per transfer | Send the link anywhere |

Limits from our [file size limits by app](https://sharelargefilesfree.com/file-size-limits-by-app) table, checked against each service's help pages.

## How to send PDF files without changing them

1. Open [Share Large Video Files](https://sharelargefilesfree.com/) in any browser and choose **Get a link** (or **Send by email**).
2. Drop PDF files on the upload box, or pick a whole folder. Up to 20 GB and 1000 files per transfer.
3. Optional: add a password, a download limit or an expiry under More options.
4. Copy the link (or show the QR code) and send it by chat or email. The recipient downloads the original file, byte for byte.

## Tips for sending PDF files

- For email, compress a copy of the PDF; for printing, send the original full-quality file.
- Ask the printer whether they want bleed and crop marks before exporting.
- Merge several related PDFs into one so the recipient does not miss a file.
- Password-protect a copy if it contains personal or confidential details, and send the password separately.

## How to open a PDF file

**Windows:** Microsoft Edge and Adobe Acrobat Reader. **Mac:** Preview. **iPhone:** the Files app and Books. **Android:** Google Drive's PDF viewer and Acrobat Reader. Every modern web browser also opens PDFs.

**Scanned PDF?** A scan is only a picture of the page. Free OCR makes it searchable, and PDF to Word turns a PDF into a document you can edit, both in your browser without uploading the PDF.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I send a PDF that is too big for email?

Upload it and send a download link, or compress a copy to fit. Links avoid the typical 20 to 25 MB email limit and keep the original quality.

### Why is my scanned PDF so large?

Each scanned page is stored as an image. Scanning at a lower resolution, in greyscale, or compressing the PDF afterwards makes it much smaller.

### Does compressing a PDF make it look worse?

It can. Compression lowers image resolution and quality, which is fine on screen but not for print. Keep the original for printing.