How to use it
- Choose your photo or drop it into the box.
- Keep the target at 1024 KB (1MB), or type a smaller size.
- Check the preview, download the new file and attach it to your email.
Compressing photos before you email them
Phone photos are often 3 to 8MB each. Email providers limit the total size of attachments (Gmail about 25MB, Outlook.com about 20MB), and the person receiving the email may have a lower limit. Compressing first means the message sends quickly and does not bounce.
A good target for viewing on screen is 200KB to 1MB per photo. Pick a ready-made size: 200KB, 500KB, 1MB or 2MB.
The tool finds the highest JPEG quality that fits under your limit and reduces the pixel size only if it has to. If the recipient needs to print the photo, send a larger file (2MB or more) or share a link instead.
Read how to send large photos by email for more options, and how to reduce image size in KB for the basics.
Questions
How do I compress a photo for email?
Choose your photo, keep the target at 1MB (1024 KB) or type a smaller number, and download the result. Attach the new file to your email.
What is the attachment limit for Gmail and Outlook?
Gmail allows attachments up to about 25MB in total, and Outlook.com about 20MB. Work and school accounts, and the person receiving the mail, can have lower limits, so check with your provider.
How small should a photo be for email?
About 200KB to 1MB per photo is plenty for viewing on screen. Several full-size phone photos at 3 to 8MB each can reach the limit quickly.
Will the photo look worse?
Slightly smaller files are usually indistinguishable on screen. Very small targets look softer, so start with 1MB and go lower only if needed.
Can I compress many photos at once?
This tool handles one photo at a time. If you have many pictures, you can also combine them into one PDF with the <a href="/image-to-pdf/">image to PDF tool</a> and use the Small file quality.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Compression happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server.