Which file types can I upload?

Lab-Send-Go accepts almost any file a case needs: scans, photos, PDFs and archives. A short list of file types is blocked because they can run code on the computer that opens them. The same rules apply when you send a transfer, when a customer submits a case through an inbound form, and to every file inside a ZIP or RAR archive.

Which file types can I upload?

Any type that is not on the blocked list below. That includes the files a dental case usually needs:

• Scans and models: STL, PLY, OBJ and the files your scanner or CAD software exports.
• Photos: JPG and PNG.
• Documents: PDF.
• Archives: ZIP and RAR. These are opened and every file inside is checked. See Why was my ZIP or RAR refused?

There is no limit on the number of files. The limit is the total size of one transfer: Free: 500 MB max per transfer; Basic: 1 GB max per transfer; Pro: 5 GB max per transfer; Enterprise: 10 GB max per transfer. See Plans, allowance and link expiry.

Which file types are blocked?

These 20 file types are refused everywhere in Lab-Send-Go:

They are programs, installers and scripts. None of them is needed to make or send dental work, and any of them could harm the computer of the person who opens it. The check uses the end of the file name, and capital letters make no difference: CASE.EXE is blocked like case.exe.

What happens when I add a blocked file?

The file is not uploaded. It is listed under Not uploaded, just below the area you dropped it on, with a message that names the file and says its type is blocked, for example "setup.exe can't be uploaded: .exe files are blocked." The message stays until you select Dismiss, and Which files are blocked? opens this page in a new tab. The rest of your files carry on uploading. Remove the blocked file from the case. If the work genuinely needs it, see I need to send a blocked file type.

Why was my PDF, photo or PLY refused?

For JPG, JPEG, PNG, PDF and PLY files, Lab-Send-Go also checks that the start of the file matches its type. A file that has been renamed, or was damaged when it was saved or copied, fails this check with a message such as "File content does not match the '.pdf' format. Please check the file is not corrupted." Open the file on your own computer to check it, then save or export it again and upload the new copy.

Why was my ZIP or RAR refused?

ZIP and RAR archives are opened and checked before they are attached, and each file inside is listed under the archive. An archive is refused when any of these is true:

• It contains a blocked file type, or a file that fails the content check above.
• It is password-protected, or any file inside it is encrypted.
• It contains more than 5,000 files.
• A single file inside it is larger than 2 GB once unpacked, or all its files together are larger than 5 GB.
• It is compressed more than 100 times smaller than its contents, which is how harmful "zip bombs" are built.
• It contains a ZIP inside a ZIP more than 3 levels deep, or a RAR inside another archive.
• A file inside it has an unsafe path, such as one that starts with / or contains ...
• The archive itself is larger than the space left in the transfer.

When the reason is a blocked file type, the message names the file and where it is inside the archive, for example "The archive contains scans/setup.exe, which is a blocked file type (.exe)."

Other archive types, such as 7Z, are uploaded as ordinary files and are not opened. To fix a refused archive, remove the password or the problem file, then create the ZIP again. You can also upload the files on their own without an archive.

Do inbound forms block the same types?

Yes. A lab's inbound form refuses exactly the types listed above, and a lab cannot add to the list or allow a blocked type. If you are submitting through a lab's form, the same rules apply to you as to any sender. See Submit a case through a lab's inbound form.

I need to send a blocked file type. What can I do?

Blocked types cannot be allowed for a single account or transfer. If your work genuinely needs one, email support@lab-send-go.com and say which type and why. Never rename a file to get round the check, because the person who receives it may open it without knowing what it is.