From business documents that are available digitally and need to be sent urgently to business partners, to private holiday photos of your trip that you would like to send to relatives and friends, to the first video of the new generation that everyone absolutely must see: Whether photos are in JPG or RAW format, videos as MPEG or AVI files or documents in PDF format, all of this data must be scaled down for sending. Why? Because the data volumes are usually so large that sending them via e-mail is not possible. The solution: compress files!
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Sending large files as ZIP: common option with some limitations
How do I reduce the size of a file? You are probably already familiar with the term “ZIP”. A ZIP file is a format that contains data that has been compressed. This can be a single file or so-called “container” files. Several files, even of different formats, are combined, allowing you to send photos, videos, PDFs and other formats all in one folder.
The problem: not every file format can be sufficiently reduced in size. There are even formats that can be enlarged by “zipping”, which has the opposite effect. This is especially the case with already compressed pictures and videos. Even if, for example, larger videos could be reduced from perhaps five GB to four, this is still far from sufficient. It is also not possible to send them by e-mail because the usual value is only 25 MB.
Another drawback: the recipient has to “unzip” the ZIP file, i.e. convert the zipped files again. To do this, they usually need a packing program, which they can download for free. Windows XP and newer versions, as well as iOS, already have these packing programs from the beginning. Nevertheless, a folder must be created and the files must be extracted.
Sending large files: Clouds with larger storage volumes
Since cloud services are springing up, it’s even easier to send large files. With a click of a button, you can upload your files to the cloud, and that’s it! To do this, however, you first need the app, which you can download for free, and an account, which in many cases is also free. The uploaded files can now be viewed and downloaded by others. However, this only works if they receive a corresponding password from you, and the recipient also needs the corresponding app. Even though some services offer up to 50 GB of storage space, the usual sizes are between two and seven GB. Upgrades are possible at any time, but are subject to a fee.
Without an app and account, you can also compress files directly on the Internet. Various providers make their services available, but limit the file sizes so that they are only one to two GB on average. This is where TransferXL comes into play with it being fast and especially secure, and where file transfers of up to 200 GB is possible.
The easiest solution for sending large data: TransferXL
Several steps combined into one: Sending large files has never been easier. TransferXL shows how it works:
- Simplicity: After a free account has been created, you can get started. You never have to worry about how to compress files again because the service does it for you.
- Security: If you wish, your data that is to be sent is already encrypted on your PC, meaning no unprotected files can enter the network and be viewed by third parties.
- Speed: Would you like to send a video to your neighbour a few houses away? Do you want your grandmother up north to see your holiday photos? Perhaps a business partner, whose office is on another continent, urgently needs documents? TransferXL ensures the best possible speed through numerous, selectable servers around the world.
- Data volume: With an Enterprise subscription, up to 200 GB are possible with TransferXL.
- Overview: Keep an eye on everything! Upload files or delete existing transfers, track your data transfer in the automatically created history and receive notifications when the recipient downloads the data.
The most important questions and answers about compressing files
Can I send large files as a ZIP file?
Yes, with restrictions – videos and pictures in certain formats (JPG, MPEG) are already compressed and can hardly be reduced in size. Also, saving is often not sufficient enough to send ZIP files by e-mail without any problems.
How can I send large files in a cloud?
You need the appropriate app and a free account. Files that need to be sent are uploaded directly from your PC to the cloud, where they can be accessed by the recipient. The recipient also needs the app and a corresponding password.
How do I compress large data using TransferXL?
You will not need to compress data in the future. This step is automatically performed when uploading your files that need to be sent.
How secure is TransferXL?
Since your data is already secured during upload and is only decrypted again when it is downloaded by the recipient, the greatest possible security is ensured.
How much data can I send with TransferXL?
With TransferXL you can send data volumes of up to 200 GB, which puts TransferXL much further ahead of many other services. This way, nothing stands in the way of sending large amounts of data.