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Send Design Files to Clients: PSD, AI & Sketch Delivery

Deliver large design files to clients professionally. Send PSD, AI, Sketch, and Figma exports securely with download tracking and expiry controls.

Design file delivery is about two things: the client gets the file in a format they can actually open, and the file lands in full quality without being damaged by email gateways or Slack compression. A browser-based transfer link handles both. Upload the source PSD, AI, Sketch, or Figma export — plus any linked assets and a fonts folder — zip it, drop it on the upload area, send the link with a password and expiry. 500 MB or 5 GB, same workflow. No proprietary client portals, no Adobe Creative Cloud invite flows, no "can you resend in a different format?"

What a "deliverable" actually contains

A design handoff isn't one file — it's a bundle. Typical contents for a brand identity deliverable:

Acme_Brand_Identity_Final_2026-03-10.zip
├── 01_Source_Files/
│   ├── Acme_Logo_Master.ai
│   ├── Acme_Brand_Guide.indd
│   └── Acme_Guide_Images_Linked/
├── 02_Exports/
│   ├── SVG/
│   │   ├── logo-primary.svg
│   │   └── logo-mono.svg
│   ├── PNG/
│   │   ├── logo-1200px.png
│   │   ├── logo-400px.png
│   │   └── favicon-32x32.png
│   └── PDF/
│       └── brand-guide.pdf
├── 03_Fonts/
│   ├── Inter/
│   └── Playfair-Display/
├── 04_Colour_Specs/
│   └── colour-palette.ase
└── README.txt

This structure telegraphs professionalism. A client's developer finds the SVG in two clicks. A junior designer on the client's team opens the AI file confidently.

Source file sizes and why email fails

| Format | Typical size | App | | --- | --- | --- | | .psd with smart objects and layers | 500 MB – 3 GB | Photoshop | | .ai logo file | 10–50 MB | Illustrator | | .indd with linked images | 50 MB – 2 GB | InDesign | | .sketch cloud-backed | 50–500 MB | Sketch | | .fig Figma backup export | 10 MB – 1 GB | Figma | | .xd Adobe XD | 50–300 MB | XD | | .afdesign Affinity Designer | 20 MB – 1 GB | Affinity | | .pdf/X-1a print-ready | 50 MB – 2 GB | Various |

Gmail's 25 MB cap stops almost all of these. Adobe Creative Cloud share links require the client to have an Adobe ID. Dropbox invites add friction.

The font problem (and how to solve it legally)

Designers routinely include .otf and .ttf files in deliverables. This is often a licensing violation. Adobe Fonts, Monotype, and Google Fonts have different terms:

  • Adobe Fonts: desktop sync is for the licensee's machine only. Bundling .otf in a client delivery is a breach.
  • Monotype/MyFonts: typically single-user or volume-licensed. Re-distribution is forbidden without an additional licence.
  • Google Fonts: open source (SIL Open Font License, Apache, or Ubuntu Font License). Redistribution is fine. Include the LICENSE.txt from the Google Fonts download.
  • Self-hosted web fonts: the client needs a web licence — check the foundry's terms.

The safe delivery: send Google Fonts directly, and for commercial fonts, send a fonts_readme.txt listing which fonts are used and where the client buys their own licence.

Format conversion at delivery

Clients don't always have your apps. Export a "universal" pack alongside the source:

  • Vector logos: SVG (any browser, any design tool), PDF, EPS
  • Raster: PNG (web, transparent bg), JPG (photos, no transparency), TIFF (print)
  • Brand guide: PDF
  • Icons: SVG + PNG @1×, @2×, @3×
  • Colour: ASE (Adobe Swatch Exchange) + SCSS variables + hex list

A .fig file opens only in Figma. If the client doesn't have Figma, the PDF export is their fallback.

The Figma export trick

Figma shared links expire with team membership. A client whose Figma trial ends loses access. For permanent delivery:

  1. In Figma, File → Save local copy produces .fig.
  2. Export all frames to PNG @2× via Export.
  3. Export a PDF of the design system pages.
  4. Bundle all three into the handoff zip.

Now the client has the file in three forms: editable Figma, raster exports, and print-ready PDF. Future-proofed.

Expiring links as a delivery policy

Set the transfer link to expire 14–30 days after delivery. Benefits:

  • Prompts the client to download promptly.
  • Cleans up your storage automatically.
  • Signals "this isn't indexed forever — if you need it again, ask and I'll send a fresh link."
  • Reduces the risk of an old link leaking years later.

For long-term asset storage, hand off to the client's own system: a DAM (Bynder, Brandfolder), a shared Google Drive under their account, or a Dropbox Business folder they own.

End-to-end encryption for pre-launch work

Unreleased brand identities, rebrands under embargo, and pitch work for competing brands all warrant browser-side encryption. AES-256-GCM with a PBKDF2-derived 256-bit key is the common standard. The key is derived from a password; the password never travels to the transfer service's server.

HexaTransfer encrypts in the browser using the Web Crypto API (crypto.subtle). Ciphertext uploads; the server can't decrypt. The client's creative director types the password in their browser, decrypts on download. If the server is breached tomorrow, the logo is safe.

Download tracking without creepiness

A download notification (webhook, email, or dashboard entry) tells you the client received the file. You can then:

  • Send the invoice with confidence
  • Stop replying to "did it arrive?" threads
  • Archive the project with a timestamped receipt

What to avoid: tracking pixels in the design files themselves, or EXIF watermarking without disclosure. Clients are quick to spot it, and it erodes trust.

Invoice and receipt handoff alongside the design

Some designers bundle the invoice .pdf and the deliverable together. It's efficient. Make sure the invoice is not a stripped-down template — include:

  • Invoice number (sequential, as required under most EU country VAT rules)
  • Your VAT number if registered
  • Payment terms (Net 15, Net 30)
  • IBAN/SWIFT or Stripe link
  • Date of issue and due date

For EU clients, invoice structure matters under Directive 2006/112/EC. For US clients, it's commercial convention.

Design-delivery service comparison

| Service | Max size (free) | E2E encryption | Password | Download notifications | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Dropbox share | 2 GB free, 2 TB paid | No | Pro only | Paid | | Adobe Creative Cloud share | 100 GB paid | No | Yes | Yes | | WeTransfer Pro | 20 GB | No | Yes | Yes | | SwissTransfer | 50 GB | Password-protect at rest | Yes | Basic | | HexaTransfer | 10 GB | Yes (AES-256-GCM in-browser) | Yes | Yes |

One workflow rule worth adopting

Version numbers in filenames, not "FINAL" or "FINAL_v2" or "FINAL_USE_THIS." Use semantic versioning: v1.0.0, v1.1.0 (minor revision), v2.0.0 (major change). The client tracks revisions clearly; you sleep at night.

A clean delivery reflects the taste you bring to the work itself.

Try it at hexatransfer.com — free, no account, 10 GB max.

Send large files securely with end-to-end encryption

Transfer files up to 10 GB for free with end-to-end encryption. No account required. Your files are encrypted in your browser before upload — no one else can read them.

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