Split PDF Into Smaller Parts to Email Free — Beat Gmail & Outlook Size Limits
Split large PDF files into smaller parts to send by email. Bypass Gmail 25MB and Outlook 20MB attachment limits for free.
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Why this workflow matters
Email attachment limits catch people off guard every day: Gmail caps attachments at 25MB, Outlook at 20MB, and many corporate mail servers reject messages over 10MB. A 40-page quarterly report, a full portfolio PDF, or a scanned contract can easily blow past these limits before you hit send. PdfPixels Split PDF lets you divide a large document into logical segments — Part 1 of 2, Part 2 of 2 — each well within email limits. The recipient gets the complete content without file-sharing links, signups, or cloud storage accounts.
Who this is for
- Office workers emailing large reports, contracts, or proposals that exceed corporate email attachment limits
- Freelancers sending multi-chapter portfolios or client deliverables that are too large for a single email
- Students emailing large scanned assignment PDFs to professors or submission portals with tight size caps
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Step-by-step: split pdf into smaller parts to send by email
Check your PDF size
Right-click the file and view Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac). If it is over 20MB, split it before attaching to email.
Open PdfPixels Split PDF
Go to PdfPixels Split PDF and upload your document. Choose the split mode: by page range (pages 1-20 and 21-40) or into equal parts.
Download the parts
Download each PDF part. Name them clearly: Report-Q3-Part-1-of-2.pdf and Report-Q3-Part-2-of-2.pdf so the recipient knows the order.
Send both parts in one email
Attach both parts to a single email with a note explaining the split. Most email clients allow multiple attachments as long as the total size stays under the limit.
Practical tips
- Name your split files with Part-1-of-2 in the filename so recipients know immediately there are multiple files and the order to open them.
- If the recipient has Google Drive or Dropbox, consider uploading the full PDF there and sharing a link instead — this avoids the multiple-attachment workflow.
- Split by logical sections rather than arbitrary page counts: chapters, quarterly sections, or project phases make each part independently useful.
Common problems
Total email size still exceeds limit after splitting
Some corporate email servers count total message size including headers and base64 encoding (adds ~33% overhead). Compress each part using PdfPixels Compress PDF, or split into three parts.
Recipient receives parts out of order or misses one
Always put the total part count in the filename (Part-1-of-2) and mention in the email body how many files are attached.
FAQ
What is the Gmail attachment size limit?
Gmail limits individual email attachments to 25MB. For files larger than 25MB, Gmail automatically prompts you to insert a Google Drive link instead. The 25MB limit applies to the total message size including all attachments combined.
Can I split a password-protected PDF?
You need to unlock the PDF before splitting. Use PdfPixels Unlock PDF to remove the password first, then split the unlocked version into parts.
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Ready to split pdf into smaller parts to send by email?
Open Split PDF and follow the steps above. No account required for core use.