E-mailing pictures to your friends and family is an easy way to keep in touch. Once you know the basics, you can
share your memories in a matter of minutes, so it's convenient, too. Who among your friends and family wouldn't
love to receive your recent snapshots in their inbox? Here's an overview of how to successfully send images.
How to e-mail photos
Before e-mailing pictures, you'll need to prepare them in one of three ways:
Download photos from a digital camera
Downloading—or transferring—your photos from a camera to your PC is a fundamental skill for digital
photographers. Once the images are on your computer, use an e-mail program to send them to friends and family.
Scan photos
Even without a digital camera, you can still send pictures electronically. All you need to do is scan your printed
photographs, save them on your PC, and send them out. Discover
tips for scanning photos.
Shopping for a scanner? Get tips for selecting an HP scanner.
Use HP Photosmart Share
HP Photosmart digital cameras and printers feature HP Photosmart Share. This software lets you select destinations
(including e-mail addresses and printers) right from your camera or printer—plus your photos will send automatically
when you dock your camera or connect it to your computer.
Instead of having to open e-mail attachments, the recipient will receive a message filled with thumbnail photos and
a link to an online photo album. Take an interactive tour to learn more about
HP Photosmart Share.
No matter which method you use to send your photos, follow these simple guidelines for best results.
Send small files
If files are too large, the recipient's e-mail program may not accept them, or it may take a long time for the
photos to download. Files under 500k are best. If you're not sure how big your images are, you can view the file
size within the e-mail program after you've attached them to an e-mail. You can also check file sizes by
right-clicking on an image file on your PC, then choosing Properties from the menu.
Use JPEG format
JPEG is a universal image format that reduces your photo file sizes for easy electronic sending. When you
download your photos from your HP camera into
HP Photosmart Essential
they are in JPEG format already.
Limit your attachments
Your entire e-mail should have no more than 1MB of files attached; that's two photos at 500k each. If you'd like to send more images, send them in several e-mails.
Check in
It's always a good idea to talk with recipients after sending photos via e-mail. Ask if the images were easy to view and confirm that their e-mail program accepted the attachments.
Printable version
