How to Deliver Design Files to Clients (Figma, PDF, ZIP)

The Design Delivery Problem

You’ve finished the work. The client is waiting. And now you’re deciding between:

• Emailing a PDF attachment (25 MB limit, no version control)
• Sharing a Google Drive folder (exposes your internal structure, requires Google account)
• Sending a WeTransfer link (expires in 7 days, can’t update)
• Sharing the Figma link directly (client needs a Figma account, gets confused by the interface)

None of these are the right answer for delivering design files to clients professionally.

The right answer: export → upload → permanent link. One link per project, updates in place, no client login required.

---

What Format to Use for Each Deliverable

Before delivery, you need to choose the right export format. Here’s the quick reference:

Deliverable	Best format	Why
UI mockups for review	PDF	Multi-page, preserves layout, any browser
Individual screens	PNG @2x	Sharp on retina, easy to view
Logo files	SVG + PNG + PDF	SVG for scalable, PNG for compatibility, PDF for print
Brand guidelines	PDF	Self-contained, professional
Icon sets	SVG + PNG	SVG for developers, PNG for non-technical clients
Full asset package	ZIP	All formats in one organised folder
Developer handoff	Figma link	Developers need to inspect spacing and export
Print files	PDF (CMYK, with bleed)	Print-ready format

---

Step-by-Step: Delivering Design Files to Clients

For Figma exports (mockups, UI, brand identity)

Step 1: Export from Figma

Select all frames → File → Export

• For review: choose PDF, “Export all pages”
• For assets: choose PNG @2x or SVG per component
• For full package: select all exportable layers → File → Export → ZIP

Step 2: Upload to Clowd

1. Go to clowd.host
2. Create a new delivery → File Delivery
3. Upload your PDF, PNG, or ZIP
4. Live on a permanent URL instantly

Step 3: Share the link

Hi [Client],

Your design mockups are ready for review:
[Clowd link]

No login needed — open the link on any device. Leave comments
directly on the page if you have feedback. I'll update the same
link as we make revisions.

Step 4: Update without resending

When you have revisions:

1. Export the updated designs from Figma
2. Upload to the same Clowd delivery
3. Ping the client: “Revisions ready — same link”

---

For PDF deliveries (proposals, reports, brand guidelines)

Step 1: Export your PDF

From any design tool (Figma, Illustrator, InDesign, Canva):

• File → Export → PDF
• For print: CMYK colour space, include bleed and crop marks
• For screen: RGB colour space, optimised file size

Step 2: Upload and share

Same process as above — upload to Clowd, share the permanent link.

Why not email the PDF?

• Email has a 25 MB attachment limit
• No version control — new version means new email
• No analytics — you don’t know if they opened it
• No client feedback — they have to reply to the email

---

For ZIP packages (brand kits, asset libraries, full deliveries)

Step 1: Organise your files

Create a clean folder structure before zipping:

ClientName-BrandKit-v1/
├── Logos/
│   ├── logo-primary.svg
│   ├── logo-primary.png
│   ├── logo-white.svg
│   ├── logo-white.png
│   └── logo-black.svg
├── Colours/
│   └── colour-palette.pdf
├── Typography/
│   ├── font-primary.otf
│   └── font-secondary.otf
├── Guidelines/
│   └── brand-guidelines.pdf
└── README.txt

Step 2: ZIP and upload

Right-click the folder → Compress (Mac) or Send to Compressed folder (Windows).

Upload the ZIP to Clowd. Clients get a clean download page showing the ZIP contents — they can see what’s inside before downloading.

---

Handling Revision Rounds Professionally

The most common source of confusion in design delivery is version management. Here’s how to handle it cleanly:

The rule: One Clowd delivery per project. Always upload revisions to the same delivery.

What the client sees:

• The current (latest) version at the same URL
• A version history showing all previous versions
• The ability to compare v1 and v3 side by side

What you see:

• Every version saved automatically
• When the client viewed each version
• Comments tied to each specific version

Version labelling (optional but recommended): When uploading a revision, add a note: “v2 — after logo feedback” or “v3 — final colour refinements”. This makes the version history readable for both parties.

---

The Final Delivery: Getting Paid Before Releasing Files

For final deliveries, use this workflow:

1. Upload the final package to Clowd
2. Enable password protection on the delivery
3. Send the link with a note that the password follows after payment
4. Confirm payment received
5. Send the password — client downloads everything

This is clean, professional, and protects you from delivering final files before payment.

---

Practical Example: Brand Identity Delivery

Emma is a brand designer delivering a complete identity to a startup.

Week 1 — Concepts:

• Exports 3 logo concepts as a PDF from Figma
• Uploads to Clowd, shares link
• Client reviews on their phone, leaves 2 comments

Week 2 — Refinements:

• Refines direction A based on feedback
• Exports updated PDF, uploads to same Clowd delivery
• Sends: “Revisions ready — same link”
• Client compares v1 and v2 in version history, approves direction

Week 3 — Final delivery:

• Exports complete brand kit: SVG, PNG, PDF, brand guidelines
• ZIPs everything into a clean folder structure
• Uploads to Clowd with password protection
• Sends link, confirms payment, sends password
• Client downloads everything from the same link they’ve been using

Total links sent: 1. Total “which file is the latest?” emails: 0.

---

What NOT to Do When Delivering Design Files

• Don’t share your working Figma file — clients can accidentally move or delete elements
• Don’t email attachments — 25 MB limit, no version control, no analytics
• Don’t use WeTransfer — links expire in 7 days, can’t update in place
• Don’t share a Google Drive folder — exposes your internal structure, requires Google account
• Don’t use “final” in filenames — it’s always wrong. Let the platform handle versioning
• Don’t deliver before payment — use password protection

---

Question-Based Insights

What’s the difference between delivering design files for review vs final delivery?

Review delivery is iterative — you share work in progress, collect feedback, make revisions. The link updates in place across multiple rounds. Final delivery is the complete, approved package — all formats, source files (if included), documentation. Often password-protected until payment is confirmed.

Should I deliver source files (Figma, AI, PSD) to clients?

Only if it’s in your contract and priced accordingly. Source files give clients the ability to edit your work without you — which can undermine your ongoing relationship and your intellectual property. For most projects, deliver the final formats and keep the source files unless the client has explicitly paid for them.

---

How Clowd Helps

• Permanent delivery link — one URL per project, updates in place
• No client login — clients open the link in any browser immediately
• Version history — every upload saved, clients can compare versions
• Client comments — feedback tied to specific versions, out of email
• Password protection — deliver before payment, share password after
• Custom domain — files.yourstudio.com for a professional touch
• Supports all formats — PDF, PNG, SVG, ZIP, and more

Deliver your design files professionally →