Reducing file size for emailing on a Mac

George

George

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I am trying to email some shots taken in CR2, and when I try and compress them in "Finder" by zipping them, the file size is hardly reduced at all, eg uncompressed out of the camera is 28.6 MB, after zipping 28.! MB, hardly a big reduction!!
I've tried Stuffit on these files and on jpegs with broadly similar results ....
anyone able to tell me where I'm going wrong?
Thanks, George
 
JPG won't compress much as they are compressed already but CR2 should. I use winrar which lets you choose your compression method. It's sort of free (it just nags you to contribute, but you don't have to)

http://www.rarlabs.com/download.htm
 
the default extension for that is .rar of course, but it can create and open zip files just the same
 
Eth said:
JPG won't compress much as they are compressed already but CR2 should. I use winrar which lets you choose your compression method. It's sort of free (it just nags you to contribute, but you don't have to)

http://www.rarlabs.com/download.htm
Click to expand...

Hi Eth, thanks, however as I said originally, I'm on a Mac and winrar, as far as I'm aware won't work...:'(.

...and the hard fact is that CR2 doesn't...!!
 
Not sure if im reading this right, but the 28mb is the open file size not the compressed size. The compressed size is the space is takes up on a disc, or as an attachment.
Pretty sure iphoto has an auto email feature to.
 
Danny_Two said:
Not sure if im reading this right, but the 28mb is the open file size not the compressed size. The compressed size is the space is takes up on a disc, or as an attachment.
Pretty sure iphoto has an auto email feature to.
Click to expand...

Well, Danny, what I've done is saved both the raw file and the (allegedly) compressed file on to my desktop, and looked at the file size there, and these are the results I've posted...and if I try and send an email, that's the size of the attachment!
 
Am I right in thinking your trying to email the raw file? Another option can you send a jpeg? if not why not just upload the raw file to rapidshare or hotfile and let them download the full size.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Am I right in thinking your trying to email the raw file? Another option can you send a jpeg? if not why not just upload the raw file to rapidshare or hotfile and let them download the full size.
Click to expand...


Really I'm trying to find an easy way to convert a RAW file to jpeg (easy) then compress that to say 4MB to attach to an email..and that's the bit thats giving me a problem, Wayne....without using a filesharing service.

When I convert my RAW to say 4MB jpeg, and then save it to my desktop, create an email and attach the converted file to it, Apple's mail downsizes it to a very small size...a few KB...which is not what I want, and zipping the file, which I thought would reduce it in size, doesn't seem to!!

Does that make sense?
 
George, I haven't got my mac with me, but I think when you attach the picture in mail(presume you're using mail?) there is a button on the bottom of the message window that when clicked on says small, medium, large.
I think. Clicking large shouldn't compress your jpeg hopefully.
I'll be home in a few hours so can have a look actually on my mac.
Hope this helps.
 
pabs said:
George, I haven't got my mac with me, but I think when you attach the picture in mail(presume you're using mail?) there is a button on the bottom of the message window that when clicked on says small, medium, large.
I think. Clicking large shouldn't compress your jpeg hopefully.
I'll be home in a few hours so can have a look actually on my mac.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Hi, and thanks for that....my experience shows that it still make the file too small, but, hey, have a go and let me know!!

Cheers, George
 
George

A CR2 file is already compressed. It's a lossless compression algorithm that Canon use, so zipping it or using an RAR type system won't work. RAR will split files over a number of fie units and then recombine them . I looked at RAR file systems a few years ago, only problem was I had to ensure the recipient could recombine them. Turned out not to be very practical.

Also with trying to send some large files via email is that some mail systems wont allow large files. I have one client that has a block at around 4Mb.

Probably one way would be to use an application such as DropBox. It's usually sed to keep your documents up to date on various machine. However each document has a URL.You could link to the files URL on Drop Box and mail that to the end user. They simply download from the DropBox server.

Alternativly use one of the large File transfer services that are available on the web
 
Is there a preference or option tab that states do not resize emails?

Dropbox is a good way to do this.
 
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Chappers said:
George

A CR2 file is already compressed. It's a lossless compression algorithm that Canon use, so zipping it or using an RAR type system won't work. RAR will split files over a number of fie units and then recombine them . I looked at RAR file systems a few years ago, only problem was I had to ensure the recipient could recombine them. Turned out not to be very practical.

Also with trying to send some large files via email is that some mail systems wont allow large files. I have one client that has a block at around 4Mb.

Probably one way would be to use an application such as DropBox. It's usually sed to keep your documents up to date on various machine. However each document has a URL.You could link to the files URL on Drop Box and mail that to the end user. They simply download from the DropBox server.

Alternativly use one of the large File transfer services that are available on the web
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, John.

I appreciate your comments re a RAW or CR2 file, however I'd have thought that there was a way to easily reduce an eg 16MB jpeg to a 4MB jpeg and I thought stuffit would do this...but it doesn't.

So what you are saying is that on a mac using mail there is no simple way to attach a 4MB file without the mail programme reducing it to a very small size?...seems a bit crazy to me!!

Thanks for your comments,

George
 
It's simple to reduce the size by converting to jpg.

What software are you using? In photoshop when you export as a jpg, set the jpg quality to around 10. That will compress the jpg and make your file size fairly small in comparison to the RAW file.

I think it may be the mail program you are using. I know that some programs do this but also give you the option not to reduce the size. Delve into the help.

To confirm you can't zip a jpg or a CR2 file to make them smaller. You can reall only do this in your editing program. In DPP (you get that with your canon software) it's easy to export a jpg as a roughly 4Mb file
 
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George
if you are using Macmail then just send yourself the attachment, if the attachment is 4 meg, then what you should receive is a 4 meg file, have a try and let me know.

If it is not a 4 meg attachment that you receive from yourself then there is definitely something wrong somewhere, I have just done it and it worked fine.

On the other hand if you are trying to send a 16 meg file and want Macmail to reduce it then you have to attach the 16 meg file and in the window at the bottom right of your message tell it to send a medium file instead. I don't know how Apple defines the sizes for small, medium or large but I suppose you could do it by trial and error. You cannot attach a 16 meg file and then adjust it to a 4 meg file in Macmail, you have to do that in Photoshop.
 
Thanks, Paul and Jim for your comments.....and I have now found out how to do it.

There is indeed an option to send the full file with "Mail"...I stupidly hadn't scrolled down far enough on the options available, so that has solved my problem.

Yes I usually use DPP to downsize my RAW (CR2) files to whatever size jpegs I need, however when I was attaching these jpegs to an email in "Mail" I had not scrolled down on the size options enough (thanks, Jim!)

Paul, I use Apple's mail (is that Macmail?) and I found that using the window at the bottom and choosing any of the options still compressed the file too much....however now I have found the "do not change file setting" option that works and I will use photoshop to resize the file as you suggested.

Thanks again for all your input!!

George

ps, still surprised that "Stuffit" doesn'r as far as I can see, reduce jpegs!!!
 
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Glad you sorted it George :) Computers!!!
 
George said:
ps, still surprised that "Stuffit" doesn'r as far as I can see, reduce jpegs!!!
Click to expand...

Jpegs are already compressed, its the same with PDF's, there's no or little difference in compressing a PDF since its already compressed.

Glad you are sorted, and yes Apple mail is what I call Macmail :)
 
Scotty Pro said:
Jpegs are already compressed, its the same with PDF's, there's no or little difference in compressing a PDF since its already compressed.

Glad you are sorted, and yes Apple mail is what I call Macmail :)
Click to expand...

Yes however while I agree jpegs are compressed, there are various levels of compression.

However I have found a simple fix, I just open the (say) 15Mb size jpeg in Photoshop, then save it with a different file name and when I go through the process it asks me what size of jpeg I want and I can then reduce it to whatever I like, then use this as the attachment to email.
George
 
I save mine as full size Jpeg's then adjust the image size to 640 for web optimisation (may be off but works for me) for emailing as the pictures dont distort etc.

If your mailing the CR2, Winrar..as above
 
Just a thought, but if you have a .me account you can load the file to the Cloud and provide a link in an email so the person can get it that way? i use that to send large files to people who's email accounts have a limit on the file attachment size.
 
Chris Y said:
I save mine as full size Jpeg's then adjust the image size to 640 for web optimisation (may be off but works for me) for emailing as the pictures dont distort etc.

If your mailing the CR2, Winrar..as above
Click to expand...

..thanks, but not on a mac.....however now sorted thanks.
 
Photodiva said:
Just a thought, but if you have a .me account you can load the file to the Cloud and provide a link in an email so the person can get it that way? i use that to send large files to people who's email accounts have a limit on the file attachment size.
Click to expand...

Yes I have that facility, and use it sometimes but I wanted to find a way to attach a larger file to my email in Mac mail.

My real problem was that I hadn't scrolled down the file size options at the bottom right of the email options.

Thanks a lot everyone!!

George
 
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