Get the set ready before you share it
- Export PDFs, not CAD files. Clients do not have AutoCAD or Revit. A vector PDF stays sharp at any zoom and opens on every phone and laptop.
- Decide one file per sheet or one combined set. A combined set is easier to send; single sheets are easier to revise. Pick one and stay consistent.
- Name files so the revision is obvious.
A-101_ground-floor-plan_rev-C.pdfbeatsplan final 2.pdf. Our naming convention guide has a system you can copy. - Leave working files out. Keep drafts and consultant markups in a separate folder so they never go to the client by accident.
Five ways to share drawings, compared
Each method has a place. The differences show up once a project has revisions.
| Method | Large sets | Always the latest | Feedback on the drawing | Protects your work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email attachment | Size limits, usually 20–25 MB | No — every revision is a new email | No — replies describe changes in words | No |
| WeTransfer | Yes | No — links expire | No | No |
| Limited; images get compressed | No — old versions stay in the chat | Screenshots and arrows | No | |
| Google Drive link | Yes | Yes, if you replace files in place | Partly — needs comment access and usually a Google account | Partly — downloads can be disabled for viewers |
| Client review link | Yes, read page by page | Yes | Yes — pinned to the exact spot | Watermarked, screen-resolution copies |
For a one-off file, email or WhatsApp is fine. For a project that goes through several rounds of revisions with a client, the method you choose decides how much time you lose to “which version?” and “which wall?”.
Step by step: sharing a set as one client link
This is the process we built Plott around, but the principles apply to any tool.
- Keep the project in one folder. Drawings, renders, materials and site photos in one place you already work from — Plott reads a Google Drive folder directly.
- Choose what the client sees. Hide work-in-progress folders and exports so only the issued set is visible.
- Send each person their own link. A client and a contractor should not read each other’s comments. Separate links keep each conversation private.
- Ask for feedback on the drawing itself. A note pinned to the kitchen wall on sheet A-101 can’t be misread. A message saying “the wall” can.
- Revise in the same folder. Save the new revision next to the old one; the client’s link moves to the newest file and earlier revisions stay readable.
How to get feedback you can act on
- Ask specific questions. “Does the island work at 900 mm?” gets a better answer than “thoughts?”.
- One sheet, one question at a time. Point the client at the drawing that matters instead of sending the whole set and hoping.
- Keep feedback tied to a revision. A comment left on Rev B should stay on Rev B, so nobody acts on it after Rev C has already fixed it.
- Close the loop. Mark each point done when the change is made, so both sides can see what is still open.
Keep the latest revision in front of the client
Most revision mistakes are not drawing mistakes — they are sharing mistakes. A client scrolls up a chat, finds last week’s PDF, and marks it up. The fix is structural: give the client one place to look that always shows the current revision, with older ones clearly labelled as history.
Whatever tool you use, avoid sending a new file for every revision. Send the link once, and update what is behind it.
Common questions
What is the best file format to send drawings to clients?
PDF. Export a vector PDF from your CAD or BIM software: it stays sharp when zoomed, opens on any device without special software, and keeps sheet sizes and scales intact.
How do I stop clients downloading my drawings?
Google Drive lets you disable downloading, printing and copying for viewers and commenters. A client review tool such as Plott goes further by showing a watermarked, screen-resolution copy while you keep the originals. No method can stop someone photographing a screen, but both make casual reuse much harder.
Can clients view large drawing sets on a phone?
Yes, if the set is viewed rather than downloaded. A viewer that opens a multi-page PDF one page at a time works on a phone; a 60 MB attachment usually does not.
How do I share drawings with a client and a contractor separately?
Give each person their own link or folder share, so their comments stay private. In Plott, switch off shared client notes in Settings and every person you invite gets a private line: they see only their own notes, and your studio sees everyone's.