You're trying to email photos to a client, family member, or colleague, but the attachment bounces back - file too large. Gmail caps attachments at 25MB, Outlook at 20MB, and many corporate email servers set even lower limits. A single modern smartphone photo can be 5-15MB, so even a handful of images can exceed the limit.
Why Photos Are So Large
Modern smartphones shoot at 12-200 megapixels. A 12MP photo at high-quality JPEG is typically 3-8MB. A 48MP photo can be 10-20MB. iPhone's HEIC format is more compact, but many recipients can't open HEIC files without conversion.
The Compression Strategy
Reducing file size is a two-step process: resize to appropriate dimensions, then compress the file format.
Step 1: Resize
Most email photos don't need to be 4000+ pixels wide. The Resize tool can reduce dimensions to a more practical size:
- For viewing on screen: 1920x1080 is plenty. This alone reduces a 48MP photo by ~95%.
- For quick sharing: 1280x960 is sufficient for casual viewing.
- For document attachments: 800x600 keeps text readable while being email-friendly.
Step 2: Compress
After resizing, use the Compress & Convert tool:
- JPEG quality 80: Reduces size by ~60% from quality 95 with no visible difference.
- WebP quality 75: Even smaller files, but verify the recipient can open WebP.
- Target: under 500KB per photo for easy emailing.
Practical Examples
| Starting Size | After Resize (1920px) | After Compress (JPEG 80) |
|---|---|---|
| 12MP JPEG (6MB) | ~1.5MB | ~300KB |
| 48MP JPEG (15MB) | ~1.5MB | ~300KB |
| iPhone HEIC (3MB) | ~800KB | ~200KB |
Batch Processing Workflow
- Open the Resize tool and set width to 1920px
- Process each image (or use batch mode if available)
- Open the Compress tool
- Set to JPEG quality 80
- Process each resized image
- Attach the compressed files to your email
Quick Tips
- Strip metadata: EXIF data adds 10-50KB per image. Use Strip Metadata to remove it - also protects your GPS location.
- Don't double-compress: Re-compressing an already-compressed JPEG loses quality without meaningful size reduction.
- Consider a link instead: For large collections, upload to a sharing service rather than attaching dozens of files.
Privacy Advantage
Many online image compressors require uploading your photos to their servers. If you're emailing private photos, client work, or sensitive documents, you don't want them passing through a third-party service. COMBb2's tools process everything in your browser - the photos stay on your device until you attach them to your email.
Conclusion
The resize-then-compress workflow typically reduces photo sizes by 90-97%, easily fitting multiple images within email attachment limits. The Resize and Compress tools make this a two-minute process, and your photos never leave your device.
Try it yourself
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