How to share design files with a client

Design projects send files to clients at two very different moments. During review, the client needs to see concepts and say what to change, often about a specific corner of a layout. At handover, they need a tidy set of final assets in the right formats, which their team will dig out repeatedly over the following years.

This page covers how designers and agencies usually share design work with clients, where approval rounds and handovers get messy, and how to do both from Fabric: feedback drawn directly on the image, a checklist of changes per round, and a published page of final files.

How designers usually share work with clients

Email is still where many review rounds happen. The designer attaches PNG exports, the client replies with numbered notes, someone replies-all with a different opinion, and by round three it’s unclear which version the comments refer to. Creative directors at agencies describe this version confusion as the main cost of client approval.

Sharing the Figma file itself gives the client the live design and comment tools. Some clients are at home in it; others find a large canvas full of artboards and earlier explorations hard to navigate, and designers sometimes prefer not to expose working files.

For final delivery, a Dropbox or Google Drive folder of logos, fonts and brand files is common, or a WeTransfer link to a zip. Both get the files across. The client’s team then has to know which subfolder holds the white logo on transparent background, and transfer links expire.

Step 1: Set up a space for the client’s design work

Create a space for the client with a folder for each review round and one for final assets. Export the concepts you want reviewed as images or PDFs and add them: drag them in or click Upload a file. If you export from your design tools to a folder on your computer, the Fabric desktop app mounts Fabric as a drive, so exports can go straight into the client’s folder.

As files arrive, Fabric extracts attributes including content type and colors, and smart organization suggests tags. That helps later: you can search the client’s space by pasting a brand HEX code, or select one design and find others like it. Sharing the space gives the client a view of their work alone.

Step 2: Collect feedback drawn on the design

Open the round’s folder, click Share, give the client commenter permission, and send the shared link. The client can open it without an account. On images, a commenter can draw directly on the design and attach a comment to the drawing, so “make this bigger” comes with a circle around the element in question. On PDFs and text, they can highlight and comment. The annotations page shows how comments sit on the work.

Work through the comments and mark each one completed when the change is made. Before you send the next round, any comment not marked completed is still open. How to mark client feedback as done covers this way of running rounds. Keeping each round in its own folder means comments stay attached to the version they were made on. When the client later asks why the headline changed in round two, the answer is on the round two image.

Step 3: Publish the final assets as a download page

When the work is approved, put the final files in the final assets folder, arranged the way the client’s team will look for them: logos, colors, typography, templates. Then publish the folder. Click Share, open the Publish tab, and click Create link. A folder publishes as a web page, which gives the client a single page of assets.

Name the link, turn on allow downloads, and leave indexing by search engines off unless the page is meant to be public. You can also allow visitors to copy the assets to their own Fabric, which suits clients who use it. Because editing the source in Fabric updates the published version, a corrected logo file replaces the old one on the same page. How to manage brand assets and design file formats explained help with what to include.

Step 4: Protect unreleased work and track the handover

Concepts for an unannounced rebrand are worth keeping behind a password. Right-click the folder (or open it and use the three-dot menu), choose Add password protection, and enter a password. It also covers files added to the folder later. There’s no reset, so store it in a password manager, and access lasts six hours before the viewer re-enters it. Password protection is on the Pro and Team plans.

To see whether the client’s team has picked up the handover, turn on engagement analytics. Each link shows visits with dates, location and device; send separately named links to the marketing lead and the in-house designer to see which of them has opened it. Agencies can also publish on their own custom domain on the Pro plan. Link analytics are on the Pro and Team plans.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get client feedback on a design?

Share the design with commenter permission. The client can draw on images and attach comments, and you mark each comment completed when it’s handled.

Can clients draw on my designs to show changes?

Yes. On images, a commenter can draw on the design and attach a comment to the drawing.

How do I deliver final brand assets to a client?

Put them in a folder and publish it with downloads allowed. The client gets one web page with every file on it.

Does the client need an account to review designs?

No. Reviewers open the shared link in a browser without creating an account.

Can I keep track of which feedback I’ve already addressed?

Yes. Mark each comment completed when you’ve made the change. Open comments show what’s left for the next round.

Should I send clients the working file or exports?

For review, exported images or PDFs keep the client focused on the concepts you chose to show. Working files usually belong in the final handover, if the contract includes them, alongside the exports in each format the client’s team needs.

Can I find designs by color later?

Yes. Search by pasting a HEX code or using the color picker, and Fabric finds images with that color.

Can I password protect design concepts?

Yes, on the Pro and Team plans. A password on a folder covers files added to it later.

Can I share design files with clients on the free plan?

Yes. Publishing with downloads is on the free plan, which has storage and file size caps. Password protection, link analytics and custom domains are paid features; details are on the pricing page.