It seems silly, but most e-mail accounts have an upper limit on the size of a file you can send. For some accounts, the size is a puny 5MB.

Actually, the limit isn’t on a file size. Theoretically, you can send an e-mail message and attach the Hindenburg. The problem lies with limits the ISP or mail server puts on the size of the inbox. That’s how your e-mail account can overflow even if you don’t have any messages with any attachments: there’s just too many messages!

Limits aside, it’s probably a bad idea to send anyone an e-mail file attachment that’s greater than 5MB. Yes, that’s small, but it’s the current limit. And you can work around it.

Before you can work around it, understand that the file size has nothing to do with the size of the e-mail attachment. That’s because all e-mail is just plain text. To send any non-text file — graphics, a ZIP file, program, video — it’s first converted to plain text by your e-mail program. That works because the recipient’s e-mail program converts the plain text back into a proper attachment.

What’s your point, Dan?

Well, my point is that a 5MB binary file may expand to a 6MB e-mail attachment. It’s that plain text conversion that bloats the file size.

So what’s a human to do?

First, wherever possible, send links, not files. Don’t attach a video, send the link to the YouTube version of the video. The link is one line of text, the video can be millions of lines. Not only will the link be faster to send, the message won’t be bounced back because the recipient’s inbox can’t handle it.

Second, use compression where possible. If you can, place all the files into a Compressed Folder or ZIP file. Ensure that the ZIP file isn’t bigger than 5MB, perhaps even 4MB to be safe.

Third, consider sending smaller versions of your image files. If you’re using a photo gallery program, like the Windows Photo Gallery or iPhoto on the Mac, you’re prompted to set the file size when you e-mail the photo. In fact, all the image attachment sizes are set in Mac Mail using a pop-up button in the lower right corner of the New Message window.

Fourth, put the files up on a shared drive resource on the Internet. For example, the web site YouSendIt lets you “send” files of any size, though the files are really stored on the Internet for later downloading. Or you can use photo -sharing services like Flickr or PhotoBucket. Or you can use your own web space or FTP server — if you have such a thing. Even so, that option can be more technical than the other choices.

Fifth, and finally, use snail mail instead. When I have to send huge videos or images, I just burn them to an optical disc and put it in the mail. It’s not quick, but it works!