Emailing Photos - Reduce File Size

[countrykid]

I want to email some photos. I gather I need to reduce the file size otherwise they wont send.
Can anyone tell me how to do this in simple terms! Do I need to download some software - ideally free of charge as I won't do this very often.
My pc OS is Windows 8.1 if that matters and I use Firefox browser and Yahoo email.
Thanks

[jno]

it seems you can use Dropbox, if that's any help

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/03/yahoo_email_attachments/

[quizman55]

You can try this excellent FREE image software

http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDownload.htm

Just make sure that you are working with a copy of the original file.

[quizman55]

Or use this site to transfer a copy of the originals.

https://www.wetransfer.com/

[pinkyboyid]

If you have a number of photos to email and the total combined size is an issue, you should be able to zip/shrink them up to into a single file using the standard Windows zip utility. Info on how to do this can be be found at:-

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/zip-unzip-files

[Old_Geezer]

Traditionally one compresses large files.
Download peazip and see if that does it for you. The recipients will need software to decompress it. Although Windows might have that facility already ?

[countrykid]

Thanks jno and quizman55. I am aware of dropbox but really just want to email the photos direct to the recipient.

With regards your suggestion Quizman, does the recipient need to also have the relevant software or will the photos be viewable with whatever they normally use when opening in an email.
Thanks again

[countrykid]

I tried the windows zip facility but it makes a point of saying jpegs are already compressed, so winzip has no effect. I'll take a look at peazip and also the transfer site and see how that goes.
Any further help appreciated.

[Old_Geezer]

It makes a reasonable point re jpegs. So maybe an external site to download to and from is the better solution. If you are happy with lower quality pictures decent jpeg software can allow you to define the trade off between file size and picture quality. But I think that the external site is your best solution.

[VHG]

If you send 1 photo at a time it should be fine (maybe 2 or 3 mights work as well).

You only get problems if you try to send a large number of photos in one email.

[quizman55]

Hi Countrykid

No the recipient just opens/views them with whatever program the usually use as they are "standard" jpegs. As long as they have something to open jpegs they will be fine.

[countrykid]

My thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.

In the end I have discovered the site below, and this worked great.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/tinypic.html

[CrapAtCryptics]

Yahoo allows up to 25mb per email - normally pictures even on fairly high quality are about 4-6. Jpeg is the file type most commonly used so if you are using something else convert them to jpg.

[mushroom25]

operating systems often contain a simple image manipulation program - on my windows 7 machine it's MS Paint.

on the top bar is a "resize" function - opening that allows you to downsize either in terms of percentage, or pixels. job done.

[countrykid]

Thanks Mushroom. I'll look into MS Paint and find out if MS8.1 features it. Thanks Crapatcryptics. The total file size was around 18mb, so well under the 25mb max you mention, but I tried sending the photos several times but no luck. Even when I tried sending in two halves where the total was circa 9mb each email but they still wouldn't send.
Thanks again, John