Do

• Include contact information in the body of the attachment as well as in the "cover" email. This is much like putting your name and address at the top of a letter as well as on the envelope.

• Use attachments when the information you need to send is longer than email accommodates, or when formatting of the content is important.

• Be sure that the recipient has the right software to open the attachment (including the same version - or higher - than the version you're using).

Don't

• Don't send very large files without getting permission first; downloading large files can be time-consuming and inconvenient for the recipient.

• Don't send files back to the sender when you reply to an email with attachments. This results in duplicating files on the originator's computer, which can be confusing and take up a lot of room on their hard drive. Of course, if you have modified or added editing comments to the original file, it may be appropriate to use it as a reply attachment.

• Don't attach a file containing only information which could easily have been included in the email itself (such as a meeting notification or agenda). This wastes your recipients' time and clutters up their electronic in-box unneccessarily.

For more information about handling email attachments (sending, opening, saving, and more), see the specific instructions for your email system, as these details vary widely from program to program. Do be aware that sending attachments between different computer or Internet-access platforms (AOL to non-AOL, for example) can cause glitches. In general, use attachments only when necessary and when you're sure that any technology issues between you and the recipient have been worked out.