| Technology advancing at an incredible pace can be a | | | | as you have to resize each of your files. This is also |
| truly marvellous thing and easily being able to take | | | | of little use if you need to send a high resolution file |
| high resolution, high quality images on your camera is | | | | because no matter how hard you try to shrink it to |
| no exception. However when it comes to sharing | | | | fit in your email it will still end up being too low quality |
| your images, you will often find that some services | | | | to be of any use. Moreover, if you are sending lots |
| can't keep up with these advances, particularly email. | | | | of photos, then you will still have to send each photo |
| Most email servers can't handle photo email | | | | in a separate email which will be a highly laborious |
| attachments because of the size of the files, either | | | | task! |
| because you are sending lots of photos by email | | | | A much more time-efficient and user friendly |
| which adds up to a lot, or because you are sending a | | | | approach is to use a large file sending service. The |
| few very high quality images. Doing either creates a | | | | basic idea is that you send an email using their |
| two-fold problem. When sending a large email | | | | web-based services, uploading your photos. The |
| attachment the maximum size depends not only on | | | | photos are then put on a server and your recipient is |
| how large an attachment your own mail system will | | | | sent an email from the service with a link to the |
| allow you to send but also on the size that the | | | | photos, including your original message. The |
| recipients' mail system will accept. | | | | recipient(s) then click on the link to download the |
| Here are the limits some of the major systems have: | | | | file(s). This gets round the limitations of your and |
| Gmail - 25Mb | | | | your recipients mail servers. |
| Windows Live Hotmail - 10Mb | | | | There are many large file sending services available |
| Yahoo! Mail - 20Mb | | | | with the most well known being YouSendIt, |
| The major email server programs have the following | | | | MailBigFile, CuteSendIt and Tonsho. They all offer |
| default limits for large email attachments: | | | | free and paid accounts with the paid accounts |
| MS Exchange 2007 - 10Mb | | | | allowing you to send more files, giving you larger |
| Send Mail - 2 Mb | | | | storage space and enabling you to brand up the |
| When you consider that a typical JPEG format file on | | | | download page if you are a business customer. |
| a 10 megapixel camera is typically around 3Mb or in | | | | The major differences between each of these |
| the larger RAW data format is around 10Mb you | | | | services concern the maximum size of file you can |
| can see that you don't need to email many photos | | | | send and how easy it is to upload and download |
| before your email service will grind to a halt. | | | | multiple files. While the typical size of file you can |
| Moreover, if you are wanting to send higher quality | | | | send through one of their free accounts is fairly |
| images that will result in good quality printouts larger | | | | standard at around 100Mb, the differences are for |
| than 10 x 8 then your files will be even larger and | | | | their paid accounts. YouSendIt, MailBigFile and |
| your mail server struggling even more. In short, the | | | | CuteSendIt offer a maximum size of 2Gb while |
| end result is that the sums just don't add up and you | | | | Tonsho enables you to send files up to 5Gb. |
| end up with your email program going on strike or | | | | Concerning ease of upload and download, unlike the |
| emails being bounced back as undeliverable. | | | | others Tonsho provides a bulk upload and download |
| So how do you get round this problem? One | | | | service so users don't have to click one by one on |
| approach involves splitting your files so that you can | | | | each photo to upload or download the files and they |
| send them through your usual email servers. | | | | also offer thumbnail views of the files. |
| However, this is rather old school and involves your | | | | Of course with all of these services you are not |
| recipient having to glue the file back together once | | | | limited to sending photos, but can send any sort of |
| they have received it. It just doesn't make any | | | | file you like. If you are unsure of which service is |
| sense. It's like buying a priceless ming vase and | | | | going to suit you the best and whether you do want |
| smashing it up so it fits in a jiffy envelope and then | | | | to put your hand in your pocket, starting out with a |
| asking the recipient to glue it back together! | | | | free account, even if it is just to do some trial sends |
| Another approach involves resizing all of your images | | | | of smaller files is probably the best place to start. |
| so that they fit within typical email server limits. | | | | You can then get a feel for the service and its |
| However, this involves a lot of effort on your part | | | | usability before making your final decision. |