Email attachment limits are a constant frustration. This guide shows you how to compress images for email while maintaining the quality your recipients expect.

Email Attachment Limits

Before you compress, know your limits:

Email Provider	Attachment Limit
Gmail	25 MB
Outlook.com	20 MB
Yahoo Mail	25 MB
iCloud Mail	20 MB
Corporate Exchange	Often 10-15 MB
ProtonMail	25 MB

Important: The recipient's limit matters too. If you're sending to a corporate address, assume 10 MB to be safe.

Target File Sizes for Email

Recommended sizes per image:

Single image: Under 2-3 MB
Multiple images: Under 500 KB each
Thumbnails/previews: Under 100 KB
Total attachment size: Under 10 MB (safest)

Quick Compression for Email

Step 1: Resize First

Most photos from phones are 4000+ pixels wide. For email viewing, you rarely need more than:

Full-screen viewing: 1920px wide
Normal email reading: 1200px wide
Quick preview: 800px wide

Resizing from 4000px to 1200px alone can reduce file size by 80%!

Step 2: Choose the Right Format

Photos: JPEG (universal compatibility)
Screenshots: PNG or JPEG
Graphics with text: PNG

Avoid WebP for email - many email clients don't display it properly.

Step 3: Compress

Use fatpng to compress your images:

Upload your images
Set quality to 70-80% for photos
Download and attach to email

Compression Settings by Use Case

Sending Photos to Family

Resize: 1600px wide
Quality: 80%
Format: JPEG
Result: ~300-500 KB per photo

Business Documents with Screenshots

Resize: 1200px wide (readable text)
Quality: 85% (preserve text clarity)
Format: PNG for screenshots, JPEG for photos
Result: ~200-400 KB each

Product Photos for Clients

Resize: 1920px (viewing quality)
Quality: 85%
Format: JPEG
Result: ~400-700 KB each

Quick Previews/Thumbnails

Resize: 600px wide
Quality: 70%
Format: JPEG
Result: ~50-100 KB each

Sending Multiple Images

Option 1: Compress Individually

Attach each compressed image separately. Best for 2-5 images.

Option 2: Create a ZIP Archive

For many images:

Compress all images first
Put them in a folder
Create a ZIP file
Attach the ZIP

Note: ZIP provides minimal additional compression for JPEGs (they're already compressed).

Option 3: Use Cloud Sharing

When images are too large even after compression:

Upload to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive
Share the link in your email
Recipients can view or download at full quality

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Attaching Original Camera Photos

A single iPhone photo can be 5-10 MB. Always resize and compress before attaching.

2. Using PNG for Photos

PNG files for photographs are enormous. Use JPEG instead - it's designed for photos.

3. Sending WebP

While WebP is great for websites, email clients have inconsistent support. Stick with JPEG for maximum compatibility.

4. Not Checking Total Size

Five 3 MB images = 15 MB, which may exceed limits. Calculate total size before sending.

5. Over-Compressing

Going below 60% quality creates visible artifacts. Recipients will notice.

Professional Tips

For Photographers

Create an "email-ready" export preset:

1920px long edge
85% quality JPEG
Strip metadata (reduces size, protects location data)

For Regular Users

Before attaching photos from your phone:

Check the file size in your photo app
If over 1 MB, compress with fatpng
Then attach to email

For Business Users

Set up a simple workflow:

Screenshot → Compress → Attach
Keep a browser tab open to fatpng for quick access

When Email Won't Work

If your files are still too large:

Google Drive: 15 GB free storage
Dropbox: 2 GB free, easy sharing links
WeTransfer: Send up to 2 GB free
OneDrive: 5 GB free with Microsoft account

Conclusion

The key to email-friendly images: resize to actual viewing size, compress to 70-80% quality, and use JPEG format. With fatpng, you can prepare images for email in seconds - no account required, completely free, and your files never leave your browser.

Image Compression for Email Attachments