How to share design files as a link

A design project ends with a handover. The client wants the logo in every format, the developer needs icons and mockups at the right sizes, the printer needs a print-ready PDF, and all three will come back in six months asking for the files again. During the project there’s a second kind of sharing too: putting mockups in front of a client and getting usable feedback.

This guide covers how designers usually share files by link, then shows how to do it from a Fabric folder: gathering the exports, publishing a delivery link for each recipient, collecting feedback drawn on the designs, and controlling access.

How designers usually share files

Email works for a single PNG and struggles with anything larger. A full logo pack with SVG, PNG, EPS and PDF versions in several colorways often goes over attachment limits, so it ends up zipped, and the client then has to unzip it and work out which file is which.

A shared Dropbox or Google Drive folder is the usual answer. It holds the full set and stays available. The recipient sees a file listing, though, and folders tend to collect working files, old versions and exports with names like logo_final_v3_USE_THIS.png, so it’s easy for a client to grab the wrong one.

Figma share links work well for reviewing work in progress with people comfortable in the tool. Some clients find a large canvas hard to navigate, and a Figma link isn’t the place for the final exported files a printer needs. WeTransfer covers the one-off handover, but the link expires and the client is back in your inbox the next time someone asks for the logo.

Step 1: Gather the final exports in one folder

Create a folder for the delivery, named for the client and project, and add the exports by dragging them in or clicking Upload a file. If you export straight from a design app, the Fabric desktop app mounts Fabric as a drive on Mac, Windows and Linux, so you can save into the folder directly. Files there take no space on your computer.

Subfolders such as Logo, Social, Print and Web help a recipient find what they need. Naming each file for what it is, rather than for the version, saves a round of questions; design file formats explained is useful if a client asks which format to use where.

Fabric processes each image on arrival, extracting its content type and colors and suggesting tags. Smart organization explains how that works, and it’s what makes the files easy to find later.

Step 2: Publish a delivery link

Select the folder, click Share, open the Publish tab and click Create link. A published folder appears as a web page, so the recipient opens a single page with the delivery on it. Publishing is on every plan.

Turn on Allow downloads, since the point of a handover is that people take the files away. Leave Allow indexing by search engines off for unreleased work. Allow visitors to copy it to their Fabric is handy if the client’s team uses Fabric too.

Create a separate link for each recipient, such as one for the client’s marketing lead and one for the printer, each with its own name and settings. If the printer only needs the print folder, publish that subfolder on its own.

Step 3: Collect feedback drawn on the designs

Published links are view and download only, so feedback rounds use a shared link instead. Share the folder of mockups with the client as a commenter. On images, commenters can draw on the design and attach a comment to the drawing, so “make this bigger” arrives with a circle around the element in question. Annotations covers the details.

Mark each comment completed when you’ve made the change, and the feedback works like a checklist. How to mark client feedback as done walks through running a review round that way. External people can use the shared link without signing up.

Step 4: Control access and see who opened it

With engagement analytics on, link analytics show visits to each link over time, with the date, location and device. Analytics are on the Pro and Team plans. They don’t name the visitor, which is why one link per recipient helps: a visit on the printer’s link came from the printer’s side.

For unreleased brand work, add password protection to the folder (Pro and Team). A password on a folder also covers files added later, so new exports are protected as they land. There’s no password reset, so save it in a password manager. Studios that want deliveries on their own address can use a custom domain on the Pro plan; how to share files on your own domain explains the setup.

When the client comes back months later, there’s no need to rebuild anything. The link you sent still works, and editing the source updates it. How to manage brand assets covers keeping a long-running asset library in shape.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the best way to send design files to a client?

Put the final exports in one folder, organized by use, and publish the folder with downloads allowed. The client gets one link to a page with every file on it.

How do I share large design files without email?

Upload them to Fabric and send a publish link. The free plan has file size caps, so very large files may need a paid plan.

Can clients comment directly on my designs?

Yes, through a shared link with commenter permission. They can draw on an image and attach a comment to the drawing.

Can I give a printer and a client different links?

Yes. Create a separate publish link for each, with its own name and settings, or publish a subfolder for the printer.

Can I find a design by its color later?

Yes. Search lets you paste a HEX code or use the color picker to find images by color, and it also reads what’s in an image visually.

Can I see whether a client opened the delivery link?

Analytics on Pro and Team plans show visits to each link with dates, location and device. Give each recipient their own link so the visits can be told apart.

Can I password protect design files I share?

Yes, on Pro and Team plans. A password on a folder also covers anything you add to it later.

Do clients need a Fabric account to download the files?

No. Anyone with a publish link can view the files, and download them if you’ve allowed it. Plans for studios are on the team pricing page.