Why does a JPG file size INCREASE when sent via email?

Question

This has happened a bunch of times. I have a bunch of files, usually JPGs. They're a certain size...let's say 500KB. I attach them to an email, CC myself, and when they arrive in my inbox, they've all increased in size...sometimes by as much 200KB. What's going on here?

I think C-Man has already nailed it, but just to elaborate a bit...

1. File is 500KB
2. Attach to email message (I use Entourage) and it still reads "500KB" within the attachement field.
3. Receive email with file attached. In the attachment field it now says "612KB"
4. Download file to my desktop, now it's back to 500KB.

Answer 1

The files have to be encoded (usually MIME) to be sent across Internet mail servers (many of which run different operating systems) That process adds a bit to the mail message size- although once the files are downloaded, they will be the same size. But's there more info in the actual message.

Answer 2

Hi there.

That's quite impossible. Just by sending your photos as attachments thru your email will NOT increase the file size. You may be confusing with something else and this may be it:

Sometimes when you upload a file (let's for keep's sake, it's 500kb), and when you look at the email when it's sent back to you, it's like 512kb. Like what in the world???!? Remember, sometimes the computer computes the file sizes literally as you would (1Kb is 1000 bytes), where as most of the apps out there and internet services computes differently (1Kb is 1024 bytes).

Here's an explanation more on this:

http://www.smartftp.com/support/kb/bits-bytes-mega-giga-tera-f53.html

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilobyte

Note: Do this test to see if it's the same size. Open "my computer" or "windows explorer", navigate to that file's location, right click on the file and select properties.

Jot down the number next to Size:

Now send an email to your self with a pic attachment, download that pic to another folder, open it's properties and check that number next to the Size: and see if it's the same, it should be.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

chop up it and deliver it. there is a good number of softwares which will do stuff like that. clumsy contained in the starting up yet u'll get used to it.yet growing a member of it makes the completed element crappy. yet another decision is to upload it onto some report sharing community. like myspace and percentage the account(ask your self if thats legal ) or purely upload it onto rapidshare and enable the international percentage it!

Answer 4

Sounds like a virus is attaching itself to your files. I always convert mine to PDF bfore I send them.

Answer 5

file size stay the same - whether you send it through e-mail or whatever