Why do I need to reduce the file size for email?

 

When pictures or photographs are imported into a computer from either a camera or scanner, they will be of a fairly large file size.

 

A 1 page word document might be: 20 – 25 KB

A single photograph (dependent on the camera) might be: 1 – 1.5 Mb (or 1,000 – 1,500KB - you can see the difference)

 

In simple terms, file sizes on computers come in 4 quantities:  

Bytes, KB  MB and GB.

 

·        A single Byte is tiny and nothing is ever usually this small.  

Any file will be normally be measured in a number of KB at least

·        KB is often the smallest quantity used, for example 120KB

·        Mb is approximately 1000 Kb

·        Gb is approximately 1000 Mb – much bigger.

 

Email (and any other uploading of images to websites etc) requires your computer to send your picture (or document) as lots of little bits of information across the internet.  Often for email there is a size limit for files that you can send.  It’s a bit like trying to get a big parcel through your letter box, too big and it won’t fit!

 

If we can reduce the file size, it will make sending it via email much quicker and easier and will ‘fit’ into the mailbox at the other end.

 

It’s good to get a picture file size to a few hundred KB (eg 250KB or less)