The number one activity on the Internet is sending and receiving e-mails. Adding your favorite photo is a fun way to personalize this communication. Photographs can be embedded into the body of the message or sent as an attachment to the message. Okay, how do you do this!

E-MAIL BASICS
In order to send and receive e-mail messages, you use a "mail client" such as Microsoft® Outlook®, Microsoft Outlook Express or AOL mail center. Depending on the mail client, the body of the message will contain text or both text and images. If the mail client is capable of sending and receiving messages containing both text and images, the mail client sets up the message much like a Web page. This setup or format is known as Hyper Text Markup Language or HTML. To determine if your mail client has this capability, search the e-mail help files for HTML.

To set Outlook Express for both text and images, select the "Format" menu (top of the "create mail" or "reply" to message window) and then click "Rich Text (HTML)." A black dot appears next to Rich Text (HTML). In Microsoft Outlook, there are 3 choices -Plain Text, HTML, Rich Text. Depending on the version used, how to check the feature will vary. Generally go to the "Tools" menu, click "Options" and click the "Mail Format" tab. In the "Send in this message format" list, click "HTML." Click "Apply" and "Ok." This setting will now become your "default" setting.

It is important to note that not all mail clients are capable of viewing both text and images. This means an image sent from a text/image mail client to a recipient that does not have this capability will be delivered as an attachment rather than appearing in the body of the message.

INSERTING AN IMAGE
HTML-Capable E-mail Client—The process used to insert images into an HTML-capable e-mail client varies according to the e-mail client. Check the e-mail help for instructions.

In Outlook and Outlook Express click the "Insert" menu and click "Picture." Then, select "Browse" to find the image file. If you do not see the "Picture" option, make sure that the HTML option has been selected as described in above E-mail Basics.

Text Only E-mail Client—Again, the process varies according to e-mail client. Text only e-mail clients require the image to be attached to the e-mail rather than embedded into the body of the message. In most e-mail cleints, look for the word "Attach" or a paper click icon, click and then locate the image file.

Outlook Express Toolbar

IMAGE FILES
Images or photographs sent by e-mail have been digitized. Common methods used to convert static images into a digital format are optical scanners, digital cameras and photo processors. The tricky part is image format, resolution and dimension. Scanners and digital cameras supply some type of graphic editing program to control the image properties. When working with photos that have been digitized by a photo processor, use an image-editing program, e.g., Adobe Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. The file size of an image is critical when sent by e-mail. Keep it small. Format: A common image format for photographs is JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group, pronounced jay-peg) format. Line art is GIF (Graphics Interchange Format, pronounced jiff or giff) format. Resolution: set this to 72 dpi (dots per inch). Dimension: Keep the width and height as small as possible.

Let's get fancy and include your favorite picture in the next e-mail!
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