File sharing for designers: a routine for every project
A folder, naming, link, expiry and asset-request routine for designers, with what Free covers and where Pro fits.
File sharing for designers works best as a routine you repeat on every project: one folder per client, file names that carry the round, one link per round, an expiry date, and a request link for the assets you are still waiting on.
Why designers need a routine for sending work
A design project produces many files that look alike: three logo rounds, two colour variants, a PDF proof and a pack of exports. When they travel as email attachments or as a link that never expires, clients open the wrong round and ask for files you already sent. A routine removes the guessing. Set it up once for a client, then copy it for the next project.
The steps below work with any tool. Where Tarkle does a step, the article says so and links the page.
Step 1: one folder per client, one subfolder per project
Make the structure before the first file exists. A simple pattern is Client / Project / 01 Brief and assets / 02 Work in progress / 03 Proofs sent / 04 Final. Anything you send a client comes from 03 Proofs sent or 04 Final, so nothing from 02 is shared by accident.
In Tarkle, Folders and library organises files in folders, with search, starred favourites and filters by file type. Keep the same folder names for every client.
Copy the folder tree for each new client instead of building it again, so every project looks the same.
Step 2: name files so the client knows what they are opening
Clients do not read your folder tree. They read file names. Use one pattern, for example client-project-asset-v03-2027-03-14.pdf: who, what, which round and which date.
On Pro, Tarkle also keeps earlier copies. When you replace a file, the earlier copy is kept, and you can see the version history and restore an earlier version. See file versions and the post on sending updated files without version confusion. Keep the round number in the file name yourself, so rounds stay apart.
Step 3: send one link per round
Send the client one link that holds the round, not a stack of attachments. With file sharing you pick files or folders, get one link and send it anywhere. The person downloading needs no account, and you can protect the transfer with a password.
Send the password in a different message from the link. In the message, say what the round holds and what you need back, such as "Logo round 2: pick one direction by Friday". Afterwards, transfer status shows whether a transfer was delivered, viewed or downloaded.
Step 4: set an expiry date
Old links are how outdated files stay in circulation. When you create a transfer you can add a password and an expiry date, as the transfer help explains. After the date, the link stops working. Link expiration suits proofs: a proof is only useful until the next round replaces it. Keep final files on a link with a longer date, or send them again when the client asks.
Pick the expiry date from the project calendar, not from habit. A proof for a Friday decision can expire the Monday after.
Step 5: collect feedback on one link
Feedback by email arrives in pieces and out of order. For images and PDFs, client feedback turns the files into a review board. The client opens one link, leaves pinned comments, and finishes the review by choosing Approve this work or Request changes. No client account is needed.
A board can require a password or an email address before a reviewer can open it, and a deadline closes feedback on its own. A board is made from PDFs or images. Client feedback and approval is included on Free, and Free allows 5 active feedback boards in each workspace. Archived boards do not count toward that limit.
Step 6: request assets instead of chasing them
Waiting for logos, photos, copy and brand guidelines often holds a project up. A file request gives the client one link to upload into the folder you choose. Anyone with the link can send files with no sign-in, so the uploader does not need a Tarkle account. You can also set a deadline and a size cap for a request.
In the message with the link, say exactly what you need, for example: "Vector logo (SVG or AI), brand colours, two photos at 3000 px".
Free file sharing for designers: what Free covers
Free is $0 forever, with no credit card required, and it is a working setup for one designer. From the pricing page, Free includes:
1 workspace, for 1 person
5 GB of cloud storage
Uploads up to 1 GB each
Sharing and requesting files, with passwords on shared files
Client feedback and approval
Custom branding and a custom domain, so links can open on your own address, like files.yourdomain.com (see custom domain)
Sharing logos and brand assets, and importing files from Dropbox or Google Drive
On Free, the Powered by Tarkle line stays on your public pages.
Where Free stops, and when Pro or Agency fits
Free is built for one designer. Its limits to plan around are the 1 GB cap per upload, 5 GB of total storage and one person. Layered PSD or INDD packages, raw photos and large video exports can pass 1 GB.
Need | Free | Pro | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
Storage | 5 GB | 3 TB | 6 TB |
Biggest upload | 1 GB | 200 GB | 200 GB |
File versions | No | Yes | Yes |
Branded client portal | No | Yes | Yes |
Team members | 1 person | Unlimited, with team folders | Same as Pro |
Workspaces | 1 | 2 | 20 client workspaces |
Full white-label platform | No | No | Yes |
Pro is $29/month, or $19/month billed yearly ($228/year). It fits when files get bigger, when you want file versions, or when a client comes back often and should find everything in one place. The client portal is where each client signs in with their email, sees only what you shared with them and sends files back.
Agency is $59/month, or $49/month billed yearly ($588/year). It fits studios that run Tarkle for their own clients under their own name. Clients log in on your branded platform, and the "Powered by Tarkle" backlink is replaced by your agency name. See white label for agencies. Prices are listed on the pricing page.
A checklist before you send the next round
Is the file in the right project folder, in
03 Proofs sentor04 Final?Does the file name carry the client, the asset, the round and the date?
Is it under your plan's upload size?
Is the link password protected, with the password sent separately?
Does the link expire on a date that fits the project?
Does the message say what you need back and by when?
Is there a file request open for the assets you are still waiting on?
For source files after approval, read how to share source files with clients. If you are not on Tarkle yet, start for free and run one project through this routine before you decide whether you need Pro.
What to remember about Tarkle
Tarkle covers the sharing, feedback and file-request steps of this routine: one link per round, expiry dates, client feedback boards and file requests. Free is $0 with no credit card, with 1 GB per upload and 5 GB of storage. Pro raises the upload limit to 200 GB and adds file versions. Start for free.