# Mail-Node Attachement unreadable
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873
**Category:** General
**Created:** [8 April 2021 16:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873 "2021-04-08T16:03:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jsail](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jsail)
#### Post date: [8 April 2021 16:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873/1 "2021-04-08T16:03:22Z")
I am stock with the node attachements.
first I used the file-node to "/home/pi/helloWorld.txt" and send it to the mail-node. The Mail arrives and the attachement is ok.
When I send "/home/pi/helloWorld.zip" attached, the Mail arrives also but the attachement can not be opend.
As my goal would be to send a smal sqligt.db File for backup.
Function Node:
file = msg.filename; // create local file variable for convenient reference
var d = new Date(); // create current date object for the time string
var tstring = d.toString().substring(0,4) + d.toString().substring(15,21);
msg.attachments =
{ filename : file.substring(file.lastIndexOf('/')+1,file.length),
content : msg.payload }; // content should be a file binary buffer
msg.topic = "helloWorld " + tstring; // email subject
msg.payload = "helloWorld.txt in Attachement: `" + msg.attachments.filename + "`"; // email body
return msg;
txt-Attachement works
```auto
{"_msgid":"9455be24.e895c","topic":"helloWorld Thu 17:30","payload":"helloWorld.txt in Attachement: `helloWorld.txt`","filename":"/home/pi/helloWorld.txt","attachments":{"filename":"helloWorld.txt","content":"hello world"}}
```
Binary-Attachement does not work
```auto
{"_msgid":"d97da717.34b998","topic":"helloWorld Thu 17:34","payload":"helloWorld.txt in Attachement: `helloWorld.zip`","filename":"/home/pi/helloWorld.zip","attachments":{"filename":"helloWorld.zip","content":"PK\u0003\u0004\n\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000���R�\u0011J\r\u000b\u0000\u0000\u0000\u000b\u0000\u0000\u0000\u000e\u0000\u001c\u0000helloWorld.txtUT\t\u0000\u0003\u0003!o`\u0003!o`ux\u000b\u0000\u0001\u0004�\u0003\u0000\u0000\u0004�\u0003\u0000\u0000hello worldPK\u0001\u0002\u001e\u0003\n\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000���R�\u0011J\r\u000b\u0000\u0000\u0000\u000b\u0000\u0000\u0000\u000e\u0000\u0018\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0001\u0000\u0000\u0000��\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000helloWorld.txtUT\u0005\u0000\u0003\u0003!o`ux\u000b\u0000\u0001\u0004�\u0003\u0000\u0000\u0004�\u0003\u0000\u0000PK\u0005\u0006\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0001\u0000\u0001\u0000T\u0000\u0000\u0000S\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000"}}
```
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [8 April 2021 16:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873/2 "2021-04-08T16:10:13Z")
Pretty sure msg.attachments should be an array.
See the built in help.
---
### Author:  [@jsail](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jsail)
#### Post date: [9 April 2021 12:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873/3 "2021-04-09T12:03:05Z")
Hi Steve,
I have seen the array in the help.
But the fact is, that the mail works well, as long I am sending an email with a TEXT attachment. When I attach a BINARY file like ZIP or PNG the attachement arrives defekt.
I was also able to successfully transmit a TEXT file with a ZIP extension.
Is there a possibility or need to declare the file in a kind of MIME type?
---
### Author:  [@softy2k](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/softy2k)
#### Post date: [9 April 2021 13:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873/4 "2021-04-09T13:06:32Z")
`UTF8 String` or `Buffer` in `FileIn` node ?
---
### Author:  [@jsail](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jsail)
#### Post date: [9 April 2021 14:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873/5 "2021-04-09T14:17:56Z")
Thank you for your perfect help.
I am very happy that I was able to fix my mistake!
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [23 April 2021 14:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/mail-node-attachement-unreadable/43873/6 "2021-04-23T14:18:15Z")
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