Using the web and e-mail to share photos can be fun and convenient if you follow these basic tips

Text And Photography By Wes G. Pitts

If you've ever been sent a large image file as an e-mail attachment, you've experienced one of the most irritating situations that the world of computers has yet to offer us. You're stuck with either waiting for what seems like an epoch for the file to download (tying up your system in the interim) or calling your e-mail provider and asking them to purge the file.

You'll make (or keep) friends if you avoid sending unwieldy image files. Otherwise, you're forcing your recipient to waste a lot of time waiting on it. If the image wasn't solicited, it has a good chance of being discarded. Some e-mail programs allow users to set a limit on the file size they'll accept, and those files that are too large are simply deleted from the mail server. Plus, many e-mail providers set limits on each user's account, disallowing large files altogether.

If, on the other hand, you remember a few key steps when e-mailing an image, it can be convenient and painless--and fun!

1 Send small files. The three most important points to remember are keep it small, keep it small, and keep it small! Small is under 500 K. Compress photos to get under this file size. If you're sending an image for someone to view on his or her monitor, an image resolution of 72 dpi is fine. Anything larger is overkill and a waste of precious Kbps (kilobytes per second).

2 Use JPEGs. As far as file types are concerned, your best bet is to save images that you intend to e-mail as JPEGs for two reasons. First, JPEG is a universal format, so whether your recipient uses a Macintosh or Windows-based machine, he or she will be able to open the file. Second, JPEG allows you to choose a level of compression to suit your purposes, helping you to further reduce your file size. (For more information, see "Web-Ready Images," PCPhoto, November/December 1998.) Be aware that some Internet gateways can cause problems with image files, even with common file types. Most of these problems have been experienced by AOL and CompuServe users receiving e-mail from other systems. This is becoming less common, but it still may happen from time to time.

3 Call First. When sending an image file as an e-mail attachment, let the recipient know ahead of time, if possible. If you need to send a large file (in order to maintain optimum image quality) for output to a printer or another high- resolution use, you'll want to send the image another way, such as recordable CD.

E-mailing images is certainly a quick and easy way to share your photos with family and friends, and an efficient route for businesses that want to send product shots quickly to prospective customers. Follow these basic tips, and everyone wins.

4 Consider Posting To The Web. Another possibility for sharing images electronically is to post your photos to a Web site that others can visit. If you don't have your own Web site, check with your ISP--most offer a small amount of space to build your own at no charge. Otherwise, there are a number of places on the Web where you can post images for free or for a small fee. Check out the sites listed at right, or browse around the Web and you'll undoubtedly find other hosts for this type of service.