[shark67]

I am a freelance illustrator. I got into the game a little late as I was working for an animation studio for years doing it "the old fashioned way" by hand drawing. I taught myself Photoshop and Illustrator but I have had problems sending clients files. They are oftentimes over 100mg files. I don't want to tie up some people's Internet connction. I have heard about FTP sites. How does that work? Is it a software package or do I need to actually build a website (something else I don't know how to do).HELP!!

[hautster]

For an FTP site, you would either need to upload the file to the customer's or printer's existing site, or create your own that the client could download the file. If your printer/client already has an FTP site, Fetch (www.fetchsoftworks.com) is a pretty easy to use app that will allow you to connect and upload to the FTP server. That being said, I have no clue how to set one up, so...I use Skype to send and receive large files. Unfortunately, I've never done this with files larger than 40 megs, but I don't know that there is a limit. Just a word of caution, it can be sloooow.You would need your client to also have Skype, but you can do this in the background, enabling you and them to continue with whatever task you need to work on. It's pretty easy to do. Most email accounts have limited sized inboxes, so this is one alternative I have found.Hope this helps.

[hautster]

I just came across another option, the application "FileChute" Check it out at www.yellowmug.com.

[jleslie]

I use my .Mac account for transferring large files. It costs just over $100/year. You can store 1GB of data, so it can be used for back-up purposes or remote-location access to your files. I often use my "Public Folder" as one method. Mac people have no trouble accessing --- PC people can access your "Public Folder," but only with some PC software installation (and intermediate computer knowledge). The "Public Folder" is the only location on the iDisk where others can upload files. You can password protect it -- or not. Keep in mind, though, that anyone with your password can access it, so client files would not be protected from a confidentiality standpoint. A workaround for that: I use it as a pseudo ftp site, putting up temporary "websites" for client proofing (i.e., file sharing pages). I create these temporary sites where clients can download large files. It works just like a website URL and any platform can use their browser to download the files I've made accessible --- however, they cannot upload. Client-specific password protection can be set up for each "website." It comes in very handy for file transfer. Many others use it just for sharing photos with family, friends, etc. And I'm sure there are other uses that I haven't had a need to explore.Someone else I know uses HeavyMail (heavymail.com) which he likes. I don't know anything about it, though.Good luck!

[James_Dempsey]

You might want to take a look at this, it'll be easier!

[charlieartist]

There are a number of good solutions here from other posters, but a related question--why (unless you are doing exhibit display-sized imagery) are your files that large? For example, a 300dpi 8-bit CMYK TIFF (press-ouput res) for an image the size of standard magazine cover would be about 33MB uncompressed. For bitmaps, LZW compression for TIFFs is lossless, and will save a lot of space. Vector images are generally much smaller. Even good JPEG compression (what Getty and Corbis use for their large images) will help out.

[James_Dempsey]

Ever work on a book where there are 4 or 5 images on every page, and the book is 48+ pages? I have singe jobs that when collected are 2 to 3 GIGS in size. It's not uncommon. Outdoor boards, while low resolution can still add up in size as well.