When delivering a web page comp to a client via email, what format do you use?
The client is unlikely to have Photoshop (or in my case, Corel); JPEG makes the text look shoddy; PNG is way too heavy. For me, that leaves PDF, the trouble with PDF being that the client can easily zoom in or out and get the wrong idea.
So, how do you handle it?
I seldom comp nowadays but have found a high quality JPEG or PNG embedded in a simple online web page an effective way to present them. Seeing the design in situ makes a big difference. Never had any complaints about file size. Explaining the limitations of the preview clearly to the client prevents them from gaining the wrong idea, and the difference between an image and a coded site cannot be overstated.
In Acrobat, you can set the initial page zooming factor. File - properties - initial view. At least they see it first how you want to.
Jpegs can look great with some High-Pass sharpening first.
Pngs should be 8-bit and shouldn’t be that big. Flatten the file first, of course, then save as and try it.
The option above about placing an image in a basic html is another good way to control size.