It is a great idea to compress your digital files when submitting them over the internet. Compressing files is similar to wrapping your priceless china in bubble wrap before shipping it overseas. Without the bubble wrap, your priceless china might end up shattered and worthless. The same can hold true with digital files. As your files bounce around the internet, they can get stripped of vital code that identifies them as valid TIFF's or EPS's or whatever the original file types. Without compressing your files, you run the risk of sending us incomplete or “corrupted” digital files.
How to compress your files
You will need either Aladdin DropStuff (Mac) or WinZip (PC).
Using DropStuff (Mac)
Be sure that all your files are in one folder. Select that folder and drag and drop it onto the DropStuff icon. You may be prompted by a dialog box — simply click “not yet”. A “.sit” (or stuffed) file will be created. This is the file we need from you.
Using WinZip (Windows)
Be sure that all your files are in one folder. Select that folder, right-mouse-click, and pull down to “Add to (file name).zip”. You may be prompted by a dialog box — simply click “agree”. A “.zip” (or zipped) file will be created. This is the file we need from you.
Note that there are other ways to compress your files including “.sea” (self-extracting archive), “.tgz” (Unix file compression), “.dmg” (disk image), etc. At Modern Postcard we do not recommend other file compression methods.