Summary. Email client software programs such as Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, and Mozilla Thunderbird, have the ability to send email messages as unformatted text messages — without bold, italics, centering of text, or inserted pictures, for example. However, most people prefer to send messages as Rich Text or HTML to allow formatting and inserting of images in their email messages. This creates some problems as described below.
Problems. The above situation results in sometimes having attachments included as part of the email rather than as a traditional attachment. For this reason, when looking through your sent messages, you might not see the paperclip indicating that the sent email contained an attachment. If the email software thinks a file can be embedded to be visually visible for the recipient (like photos or PDF files), it will embed it. If it thinks the attachment is not easily embedded (like a spreadsheet or zip file), then it will be an attachment. An additional problem is that Windows users receiving a message may not see images or PDF files as attachments that can be downloaded. Instead, they will need to right click and choose save as for images and other items included in a message.
Solution. Attachment Tamer is a software program by LokiWare designed to work with Apple Mail. It allows the best of both worlds. Emails can be formatted using Rich Text, but attachments and many other aspects of email formatting can be configured using this Mail plugin. The cost is $14.
Alternate Solution. To ensure that all attachments are attached rather than embedded, for Windows or Apple users, you can right click on a file and then Compress it (Apple users) or Send it to a zipped/compressed file (Windows users). The email client software won’t know how to embed the compressed file to be viewable, so it will attach it instead.
Description – From LokiWare. Below is a description of Attachment Tamer from the LokiWare website. [source]
Attachment Tamer gives you control over attachment handling in Apple Mail. It fixes the most annoying Apple Mail flaws, ensures compatibility with other email software, and allows you to set up how attachments are displayed and sent.
- Attachment Tamer can
- display (and print) images, PDFs, audio and video as icons with an optional file size limit and exceptions;
- send messages compatible with Microsoft Outlook, Exchange and other software, preventing the superfluous “ATT0001” attachments;
- send images as regular attachments, making it easier for the recipient to manipulate the image files;
- send images embedded in HTML layout and safely mix embedded images with other attachments;
- display full attachment names regardless of length instead of truncated names;
- prevent unwanted image resizing or set a default size for automatic image resizing.
Description – From CNET. Below is a description from CNET about Attachment Tamer.
Attachment Tamer (Formerly known as Mail Attachments Iconizer) gives you control over attachment handling in Apple Mail. It fixes the most annoying Apple Mail flaws, ensures compatibility with other email software, and allows you to set up how attachments are displayed and sent. Attachment Tamer can: display (and print) images, PDFs, audio and video as icons with an optional file size limit and exceptions, send messages compatible with Microsoft Outlook, Exchange and other software, preventing the superfluous “ATT0001” attachments, send images as regular attachments, making it easier for the recipient to manipulate the image files, send images embedded in HTML layout and safely mix embedded images with other attachments, display full attachment names regardless of length instead of truncated names, prevent unwanted image resizing or set a default size for automatic image resizing.
