Why do photos lose quality in email and chat?
Email attachments are not a good way to send a photo album. A photo from a modern phone often takes up several MB. A JPEG from a mirrorless camera or DSLR is larger. A few photos can reach Gmail and Outlook’s 20–25 MB limit.
Photos added as images in WhatsApp and Messenger are reduced in size. That is enough for viewing on a phone. It is not enough for printing, retouching, or archiving. Instagram and similar platforms also reduce photos for display. They do not deliver the file.
The file the recipient gets should be the file you uploaded.
| Sharing method | What happens | For printing and archiving |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail or Outlook attachment | Attachments over 20–25 MB will not send | Not suitable |
| WhatsApp / Messenger | Reduces photo size | Not suitable |
| Instagram or social network | Reduces photos for display | Not suitable |
| Online gallery | Provides a good preview, but original downloads are not available on every plan | For viewing |
| Shared drive | Files may stay available, but the recipient may need an account | Use with care |
| SendGB link | Files stay full size, and folder structure is preserved | Suitable for delivery |
The example above contains a few pages ready for print. A selection of hundreds of JPEGs can be added to the same upload box as a folder. RAW files straight from the sensor are outside the scope of this page. See the guide to sending RAW photos for those. For video from the same day, see the guide to sending videos.
How should you send a photo album?
If the recipient only needs to view the photos, a small preview is enough. If they will print them, save them, or design an album, send the originals.
Chat is convenient, but it reduces photo quality. Use it for everyday photos. Do not use it to deliver files.
Online galleries work well for showing photos to clients. Whether the original file can be downloaded depends on the site’s plan and settings. Clients often want the whole album through a single link. SendGB is for downloading files, not browsing a photo gallery.
A shared drive can work for archiving. The files count against your storage quota, and the recipient may need an account or permission. For a one-time album delivery, a download link with a set expiration is simpler.
Is 5 GB enough for a photo album?
We cannot guarantee how many photos will fit. The limit is the total size. At 10 MB each, 100 photos add up to about 1 GB. At that size, about 500 photos fit within 5 GB. Phone photos are generally smaller. A single print TIFF can be hundreds of MB.
| What are you sending? | Typical size | Which option is enough? |
|---|---|---|
| Vacation or family album | A few hundred phone photos are often under 5 GB | Free; up to 90 days for transfers up to 250 MB, 7 days for larger transfers |
| JPEG selection for a client | Sometimes under 5 GB, sometimes over | Free if it fits; SendGB Extra if it exceeds the limit |
| Print TIFFs and album PDFs | Hundreds of MB per page | SendGB Extra |
| Full shoot | Can be tens of GB | SendGB Extra, 500 GB per transfer |
| Archive over 500 GB | Large, one-time delivery | SendGB Exceed, up to 1 TB |
| Video from the same day included | Video size adds to the total | SendGB Exceed or a separate transfer if the total exceeds 500 GB |
SendGB Extra starts at €29.90 per year. It includes 1 TB of storage. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year. It suits photographers who send albums regularly.
SendGB Exceed requires no subscription. A 1 TB transfer costs €9.99. The code can be used once and is valid for 1 year. SendGB Exceed transfers stay available for 7 days. It is enough for an occasional very large archive.
Selected photos, print files, and the full shoot
These are three different things. All three can go in the same upload box. The limit still applies to the total file size.
| Selected photos | Print files | Full shoot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Client delivery, gifts for family | Print shops and album pages | Archiving, backup |
| Typical file | JPG | TIFF and PDF | JPG, sometimes RAW |
| 5 GB | Often enough, but not for every wedding | Not enough except for a short album | Not enough |
| Folder structure | Selected photos can stay separate | Page order must stay intact | Folders organized by date or memory card must stay intact |
Do not substitute RAW files for a JPEG selection. Do not substitute print TIFFs for phone photos either. Put the files you need to send in a separate folder and send it. For RAW photos, see the guide to sending RAW photos. Video recordings such as BRAW and R3D are covered in the raw footage guide. This page covers JPEGs, TIFFs, and album files.
How to send
- 1
Add the album folder
Add the album folder to the upload box on the home page, not just one photo. Selected photos, black-and-white photos, and print files go in the same transfer. The free limit is 5 GB total.
- 2
Send the link
Email the link to the recipient or copy and paste it into WhatsApp. Add a password if you want. Send the password separately from the link.
- 3
The recipient downloads the album
The recipient downloads from the link and does not create an account. Folder structure is preserved when they download the entire transfer. Free transfers over 250 MB stay available for 7 days. Free transfers up to 250 MB stay available for up to 90 days. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year.
What happens to your file?
- Resolution stays the same. The photo’s capture date, location, and color profile also remain in the file.
- JPG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC, WEBP, and album PDFs are accepted.
- Adding a folder preserves its structure. The recipient downloads everything together.
- If you add a password, anyone with the link needs that password to download.
What we don’t do
- This is not a gallery where clients select photos. It is for downloading files.
- We do not convert HEIC files to JPEG. If they will not open on Windows, convert them before sending.
- There is no Gmail or Outlook extension. You paste the link yourself.
- The free 5 GB limit is not enough for every wedding. The full shoot often requires SendGB Extra.
Frequently asked questions
Are photos reduced in size when I send them?
No. SendGB does not re-save photos. Resolution stays the same. If the file contains a capture date, location, and color profile, that information is preserved too. WhatsApp reduces photo size. SendGB does not resize photos.
How many photos can I send for free?
The limit is 5 GB total, not a photo count. Roughly 100 photos at 10 MB each add up to 1 GB. At that size, about 500 photos fit within 5 GB. Phone photos are smaller, and print TIFFs are much larger. It depends on the camera and export settings.
How do I send a photo album through WhatsApp without losing quality?
Do not add photos to the chat one by one. Create a transfer and paste the download link into your message. The recipient downloads the album from the link. SendGB does not reduce file size.
How do I get around Gmail’s 25 MB attachment limit?
Do not attach the album to an email. Create a transfer and paste the link into Gmail. A few camera photos can reach 25 MB. The link is short, so the email goes through even if the album is 5 GB.
Will the folder structure change?
No. If selected photos, black-and-white photos, and print files are in separate folders, keep that structure and add the entire folder. The structure is preserved when the recipient downloads the entire transfer. No ZIP is needed. If you create a ZIP, we do not unpack it.
Can recipients preview photos before downloading?
JPG and PNG files can be opened individually on the download page. Do not expect this for TIFF, HEIC, or RAW files. This page is not a gallery where clients mark their favorite photos.
Does the recipient need an account?
No. The recipient downloads from the link in their browser and does not create an account. No sign-up, app, or SendGB account is needed.
Can I share HEIC photos from an iPhone?
Yes. They are sent as files without any reduction in size. Some Windows computers cannot open HEIC files. If the recipient cannot open them, convert them to JPEG before sending. SendGB does not do this conversion.
Is location information removed?
No. We do not alter the file. If it contains location information, the recipient gets it too. To remove it, export the photo without location information before sending.
Will a wedding album fit within 5 GB, or do I need SendGB Extra or SendGB Exceed?
A JPEG selection sometimes stays under 5 GB and sometimes exceeds it. The full shoot and print TIFFs often require SendGB Extra. The limit is 500 GB per transfer. It includes 1 TB of storage. Pricing starts at €29.90 per year. SendGB Extra keeps files for up to 1 year. For a single archive over 500 GB, SendGB Exceed is enough: no subscription, a 1 TB transfer costs €9.99, and the code can be used once and is valid for 1 year. SendGB Exceed transfers stay available for 7 days.
Send a download link instead of adding album photos to a chat one by one
A small selection may fit within 5 GB. Send the full shoot with SendGB Extra up to 500 GB, or with SendGB Exceed up to 1 TB in a single transfer.
Start sending