Send file from Drive as email attachment

[jasongordon]

Why is there still no way to email a file directly from the drive interface as an email attachment?

We store hundred of product documentation PDFs in google drive that are very easy to find using the google drive search interface but there is no easy way to send this PDF as an email with the file attached directly (not a drive link).  

Right now when we find what we need in drive.google.com, we either have to download the file and attach it to a new email manually or search for it again using the drive interface within gmail (and let's not forget to make sure to send as an attachment and not a drive link).

The drive interface in gmail is subpar, you can barely preview the files and have to remember to check off to send as attachment.  

[Marcin_Milewski]

Hey @jasongordon,

Gmail supports such functionality, when you insert the Google Drive file into email, on the right side you can decide whether it will be Drive link or Attachment. Google Formats are not supported when you select them, but files such as PDFs can be attached as on the screens below: 

Hope this helps,

Best,
Marcin

[jasongordon]

That is the drive interface within gmail.  The search is inferior, you cant preview, and always have to make sure to insert as attachment.  This is what I am complaining about.  We should be able to send from the regular google drive interface.

[bill_pier3]

This Drive addon might do what you want: https://softgateon.herokuapp.com/cloudmail/

That said, though I know there are specific situations where the actual file as an attachment is needed in email, generally the paradigm of emailing attachments has been deprecated in favor share-access for files.  This change is much better for organizations maintaining version and access control on their files.