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Why You Should Compress Files Before Emailing Them

Don't waste your recipients' time by attaching huge files

By Heinz Tschabitscher Heinz Tschabitscher Writer University of Vienna A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 1, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Compress Files Sent as Attachments Compress Files With the OS Don't Email Huge Files No one likes to wait for a long download. Large email attachments cost the recipient time, space, and money. Be considerate and compress any attachments you send with your email. Documents created by word processors such as Microsoft Word can take up space on your computer or handheld device. It takes just seconds to compress, stuff, or zip them.

Compress Files Before Sending Them as Attachments

You can prevent large files from using up network resources with a compression utility such as: WinZip (Windows, Mac) 7-Zip (Unix, Mac, Windows) StuffIt (Mac, Windows) bzip2 (Unix, Mac, Windows) Many word processing documents can be compressed to 10 percent of their original size.

Compress Files With Operating System Software

Current Windows and Mac operating systems include compression software for zipping large files. In macOS, control-click any file and choose Compress from the menu options to reduce file size. In Windows 10, open File Explorer, right-click the file you want to zip, and click Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. The recipient expands the compressed file by double-clicking it.

Don' t Send Huge Files via Email

If the file you want to attach to an email surpasses 10 MB or so, even after compression, it's better to use a file-sending or cloud-storage service rather than attach it to an email. Most email service providers place limits on the size of files they will send. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Email a Google Doc How to Create and Use a ZIP File How to Open Zip Files on iPad or iPhone How to Send a File Attachment With Outlook.com 5 Best Free File Converters for Occasionally Used Formats How to Forward an Email as an Attachment in Outlook How to Fix It When Attachments Aren't Showing in Outlook What Is a ZIP File? How to Zip and Unzip Files and Folders on a Mac 000 File (What It Is & How to Open One) How to Compress Files to a ZIP Archive in Windows BZ2 File (What It Is & How to Open One) 7Z File (What It Is and How to Open One) XAR File (What It Is and How to Open One) 31 Best Free Backup Software Tools (October 2022) How to Open, Edit, and Convert LZH Files Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies