Stop Emailing 50MB PDFs to Your Team
Simple fixes for the PDF problems that slow down remote teams every day.
Last month I watched a coworker try to email a 47MB PDF to a client. Gmail rejected it. So she uploaded it to Google Drive, got a sharing link, and sent that instead.
The PDF was a 3-page contract with two photos.
This happens constantly in remote teams. PDFs get bloated, email attachments fail, and everyone wastes time on workarounds that shouldn't be necessary.
Here's how to fix the common ones.
The "Email Won't Send" Problem
Most email providers cap attachments at 25MB. Slack is similar. When your PDF hits that limit, you're stuck.
The fix depends on why the file is so big:
If it's full of images: Those images are probably stored at print resolution (300 DPI) when you only need screen resolution (72-150 DPI). Compress the images before adding them to the PDF, or use a PDF compression tool.
If it's a scan: Scanned documents are just images. A 10-page scan can easily hit 50MB. Reduce the scan resolution or run the PDF through a compressor.
If it's just too many pages: Split it. Send the relevant section instead of the whole document. Nobody wants to scroll through 200 pages to find the one chart you're referencing anyway.
The "I Need Pages 47-52" Problem
Someone sends you a massive report. You only need a few pages for your presentation. What do you do?
Most people: screenshot each page, paste into PowerPoint, apologize for the blurry images.
Better approach: extract just the pages you need as a separate PDF. Takes 30 seconds, looks professional, file stays small.
Works the other way too. Need to send just the signature page from a contract? Extract it instead of sending 30 pages of legal text.
The "Combine These 5 Documents" Problem
Client sends requirements across multiple emails. Boss wants everything in one file for the meeting. You've got:
- project_brief.pdf
- budget_v3_final_FINAL.pdf
- timeline.pdf
- team_org_chart.pdf
- appendix_notes.pdf
You could print them all, scan them together, and end up with a 75MB monster. Or you could merge them digitally in about 10 seconds.
The digital merge keeps the files searchable, the text selectable, and the size reasonable.
The "Wrong Page Order" Problem
Merged your PDFs but they're in the wrong order? Most merge tools let you drag pages around before saving. Check the preview, rearrange if needed, then export.
Same goes for removing pages. Scanned a document but one page was upside down or blank? Delete it from the PDF instead of rescanning everything.
Quick Wins
Reduce before you send. A 5MB PDF and a 500KB PDF look identical on screen. The smaller one just loads faster and doesn't clog inboxes.
Name files clearly. "Document.pdf" helps nobody. "Q4_Budget_Approved_2026-01-15.pdf" tells people what it is without opening it.
Check the preview. Before sending a merged or modified PDF, scroll through it. Make sure pages are in order, nothing's missing, and it looks right.
Keep originals. When you compress or modify a PDF, save it as a new file. You might need the high-resolution version for print later.
Most PDF problems have simple solutions. The tools exist—they're free, they work in your browser, and they take seconds to use.
The hard part is remembering they exist when you're in the middle of a deadline and Gmail just rejected your attachment for the third time.