Attach site visit photos to the inspection notes and combine them into a single PDF, then send the file to the design …
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
Select Tools in the top menu.
Choose Protect or look for the attachment tool in the tools panel.
Click the paperclip icon or select the attachment tool from the secondary toolbar.
Click anywhere on the PDF page where you want the attachment icon to appear.
In the file dialog, browse to and select the file you want to embed, then click Open.
Choose an icon to represent the attachment and, optionally, enter a description.
Click OK to embed the file into the PDF.
Best practiceFor best compatibility, let recipients know that they may need to use Adobe Acrobat or Reader to extract embedded attachments, as some PDF viewers do not support this feature.
Save the PDF to retain the embedded attachment.
You can view and manage all embedded attachments by opening the Attachments pane in Acrobat.
This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.
Sanitizing attachments is crucial because any file you attach becomes part of the PDF. If the attached photo or document contains sensitive personal or business information, it will be visible to anyone who receives the PDF. Sanitizing helps protect your privacy and prevents unintended information leaks, ensuring only necessary data is shared.
Yes, attaching a large image file will increase the overall size of your PDF document. This happens because the image is embedded directly into the PDF. If file size is a concern, consider optimizing the image before attaching it or linking to an external image instead of embedding it.
| Feature | Adding a Link | Attaching a File |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Points to external content (webpage, other file) | Embeds a file directly into the PDF |
| File Size | Does not increase PDF size much | Increases PDF size with the attached file |
| Access | Requires internet or file path to work | Content is always available within the PDF |
You would attach a file when you want to include the original, full version of a document or image, not just a visual copy. Attaching keeps the file in its native format, allowing recipients to open it with its original application. This is useful for sharing editable spreadsheets, detailed CAD files, or high-resolution images that might lose quality if simply inserted as a picture.