Frustration with Adobe’s Workflow Limitations on macOS

Question

On macOS, we’re fortunate to have a streamlined way to create and email PDF files directly from the Print dialogue. With just a couple of clicks, we can save a document as a PDF or generate an email with the PDF attached—quick, efficient, and user-friendly.

Unfortunately, this convenience does not extend to the Adobe suite. Instead of supporting the built-in macOS functionality, Adobe forces users down a less efficient path: exporting the file as a PDF and then manually attaching it to an email. This adds unnecessary steps, wastes time, and breaks an otherwise smooth workflow.

Why is it this way? Is there a workaround that brings back the simplicity macOS users are accustomed to?

It’s incredibly frustrating when large companies ignore native platform features that clearly improve the user experience.

Eugene Tyson · Accepted Answer

You're spot on that macOS makes it very convenient to generate a quick PDF and shoot it off via Mail from the Print dialogue.

For casual use like saving a receipt or emailing a document draft that's useful.

But for professional work, especially in the Adobe ecosystem, "printing to PDF" is outdated and risky.

Exporting is preferred (and printing is archaic) from Adobe apps (like InDesign or Illustrator) gives you full control over PDF presets, colour management, bleeds, crop marks, image compression, fonts and more.

The Print dialogue does not offer this.

Proofing before sending I typically want to see the PDF before I send it, not blindly trust it.

Export > open in Acrobat/Preview > check > then attach.

One minute of double-checking is worth the peace of mind.

If it's about reducing clicks, you can set up scripts, Automator workflows or even use a watched folder to automatically attach or send exported PDFs. It's not as “instant”, but it's safe and customisable.

If you want to replicate that Print > PDF > Mail flow, here's a workaround

Create a small Automator Quick Action or AppleScript that watches a folder for new PDFs and automatically opens a new Mail message with it attached. That way, you can Export to that folder, get the right PDF, and let the script do the rest.

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If you view the PDF after Exporting from inDesign _as mentioned earlier in the PDF export options

In Acrobat there's an Email button in the top right

Export the PDF and then click the button and you're done.

You might have to setup the default email application in Acrobat first.

rob day · Answer

Hmm, I’ve been using ID since version 1 and never clicked through 🙄—guess that’s not a feature I’m looking for.

I could be scripted. This JS saves a Smallest File Size PDF to the desktop with no dialog:

var d = app.documents.item(0);
var n = d.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '')
var path = "~/Desktop/" +  n + ".pdf";
var pre = app.pdfExportPresets.itemByName("[Smallest File Size]");
d.exportFile(ExportFormat.pdfType, File(path), false, pre); 
Applescript could save a PDF and place it in a Mail doc.

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