Send RAW photos to clients, untouched

Why RAW files need a different way to send

A RAW file is the sensor data before any processing. It is large, it only opens in editing software, and its whole value lies in being untouched. That rules out every channel that resizes, converts or strips data, and every channel with a small size cap. Email stops at 20 to 35 MB per message (as of October 2026), which is often a single RAW file. Chat apps either refuse the format or treat it as a generic document, one file at a time.

How big are RAW files?

The size of an uncompressed RAW is easy to estimate: megapixels × bit depth ÷ 8. Cameras usually record 14 bits per pixel, and many offer lossless compression that shrinks files noticeably without losing data.

With lossless compression, a full wedding or event in RAW often lands between 30 and 100 GB, inside the free plan’s 100 GB. If not, split by part of the day or use Transfr Pro, which has no size limit per transfer. Upload times for these sizes are on sending 50 GB and sending 100 GB.

How to send RAW photos with Transfr

1. 1

   Step 1

   Prepare one folder per delivery

   Put the RAW files, their XMP sidecars (if you share your edits) and a folder of JPEG previews in one parent folder. Name it after the client and the date.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Drop the folder on Transfr

   Open Transfr and drag the parent folder in. Subfolders are kept, and CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, ORF, RW2, DNG or any other format is uploaded as is.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Protect the delivery

   Add a password, and choose how long the files stay online: up to 7 days free, or up to 60 days with Pro for clients who take their time.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Send the link

   Email it to the client (up to 10 addresses) or paste it into your usual message. Send the password separately.

What to include with your RAW files

• XMP sidecars if you shot in a format that stores edits separately and want the client to see your adjustments in Lightroom or Camera Raw. Without them, the client sees the unedited RAW.
• JPEG previews of every frame, or at least a contact sheet. RAW files do not preview in a browser, and most clients will want to look before they download 60 GB.
• A short note in the transfer message: camera, colour profile, what is edited and what is not, and which software opens the files.
• DNG copies if the client uses older software that cannot read your camera’s RAW format. Adobe’s free DNG Converter makes them; keep the originals too.

A folder structure clients understand

A client opening 1,400 files named DSC_0001 to DSC_1400 will not know where to start. A clear structure takes five minutes and saves a round of questions:

• 2026-10-18_Martin-Wedding / RAW with the originals, renamed with the date and a sequence number if your software allows it
• RAW also holds the XMP files, next to the RAW they belong to, with the same base name
• Previews-JPEG with small JPEGs for browsing
• README.txt with the camera, the software you used and any instructions

Transfr keeps that structure on the download page, and when the client downloads everything, they get one ZIP with the same folders, whatever the size. They can also download a single file, which is why matching file names between RAW and preview folders helps.

Should you give clients your RAW files?

That is a business decision, not a technical one, and it is worth writing into your contract. Many photographers deliver only edited JPEGs or TIFFs; others sell RAW files as an add-on to studios, agencies or retouchers who need maximum latitude. When you do deliver RAWs, a password-protected link with a set expiry keeps a clear trace of what was sent and when.

For edited deliveries, see sending large photos and the full guide on how to send RAW photos to clients.

RAW delivery options compared

For working photographers

If you deliver every week, Transfr Pro turns the download page into part of your service: your logo and a background image from the shoot, a link on your own domain, files online for up to 60 days, and download tracking showing which files the client opened and downloaded. See file transfer for photographers and custom branding. To collect photos from second shooters, use a file request link.