The Best Ways to Transfer Files

One of the questions we get asked most frequently is, ‘how do I send my files to you?’

Here are some different options we recommend:

Email

For things like Word documents and text-only PDFs, email should be sufficient. However, email is not a good way to send large files such as a series of images for print. You could send multiple emails, but that tends to get confusing for the person you’re sending them to and may lead to items being missed.

The maximum size: usually up to 25MB, depending on your email provider

Dropbox

Dropbox allows you to save files to their cloud service and share those files with others. This is a great way to share files with people you are working with frequently.

However, Dropbox can cause problems when you are working with more than one person, as each separate email address will need to be granted access. To save you from needing to resend, check who the files need to end up with. They may need to go to your designer, not the person you were emailing initially.

Alternatively, you can share a link through Dropbox which can be copied and pasted into an email.

The maximum size on the free plan: 2GB

WeTransfer

Unlike Dropbox, WeTransfer doesn’t require a login. You drop your files onto their site, as well as your email and the recipient’s email. WeTransfer sends the recipient a transfer email where they can download the files. This email is available for seven days. After that, the file will need to be resent.

If you’re not sure who your file needs to end up with, you can create a link through WeTransfer and copy that into an email. The link is transferrable and can be forwarded to the appropriate person.

The maximum size on the free plan: 2GB

Memory stick

If you live locally, dropping off your files on a USB memory stick might be easier for you than transferring online. You can also send a memory stick by post, but we recommend using something like Dropbox or WeTransfer if you can.

If you send your files this way, please ensure that only the relevant files are on the drive and that each file is clearly labelled.

For more information on preparing files for print, see our How to Guides.