How to Make Email Attachments Smaller

Before you send out attachments with your emails, you should always make sure that they are the smallest size possible. Although the effectiveness of file compression depends on the format of the file being compressed, you can use the built-in compression features in Windows 7 and earlier to compress one or more files into a single archive before emailing it. Compressing files before distributing them over the Web costs your company less bandwidth and allows recipients to download the attachments faster.

1. Click on the "Start" orb and click "Computer." Navigate to the files or folders that you want to send as an email attachment.
2. Select the files or folders to compress; right-click on the selected area and select "Send to." Click "Compressed (zipped) folder" to compress the selected files and archive them into a single convenient file with the maximum possible data compression.
3. Log in to your email client or Web-based email account and compose a new mail. Click "Add attachment" and browse to the location of the archive you just made. Click "OK." Fill in the body of the email and then click "Send."