Video is a great way to send greetings and information to friends and family. As an attachment to an e-mail message, it is direct and private. For sending by e-mail, these instructions apply to generic email programs. The video clip you want to send must be on your computer before composing the e-mail.

Or, you can upload video to a social media video sharing site like YouTube or Flickr, where there are ways to share it widely, or only with select people.

1.

Video file attachments will be very large, and some email services have file size limits. File attachments of up to 20MB megabytes can be sent out on some services, but 5 MB is the limit on others. Your video size cannot exceed the limit of either the sender’s or the recipient’s e-mail limit. There are services on the Web that allow for the sending of much larger files if necessary.

2.

There are ways to reduce a video file size. Your editing program can probably do it, or use a converter or compressor for video files, software that can often be found on the Web. Such software can change the size, shape or resolution of the video so it is a smaller file. The converted file can be renamed and saved, and you will still have the original video file.

3.

Run your email application or sign on to your email site as normal. Compose or create a new message, add the recipient’s address and a subject line or message if you wish.

Don’t try to paste or insert a video inside the e-mail message but attach the video file.

Click “Attach File” or that “Paper clip” icon to display a standard attach file dialog box. Search and select the video file you need.

After a time, you will see a confirmation that the video is attached, and the name of the file will appear in the e-mail heading.

4.

Click the “Send” button to email the video.

Extra Advice

You may want to first tell someone you are sending them a video clip. One reason is the large file attachment size. Another is computer anti-virus or e-mail spam filter settings that could stop the video from getting through if they are set for blocking.