Compressing Pictures in Office

If your Office files (ex Word or PowerPoint files) include pictures, chances are, file size is not as small as it could be.

Issues with large Office Files

  • Can be difficult for students to print, even in computer labs.  Large documents that are sent to the printer can take up to a half hour or more to complete printing.

  • Large files that are made available through a web link (including Desire2Learn) Internet, or those that are sent as email attachments are difficult to download via a dial-up connection (modem).

Note: Compressing does not apply to clipart as clipart pictures are already quite small

To compress all pictures in an Office file:

  1. First, make a copy of the file you intend to compress, saving it into the same folder as your original so that you can easily locate it. (While this is most often not the case, compressing may reduce the quality of your images. Working on a copy preserves your original).

  2. Rename the copy in some fashion that will indicate to you that this is the compressed file (eg, adding _c at the end of the file name).

  3. Open the copy's Normal view.

  4. Right-click on one of the pictures in the file. From the shortcut menu select Format Picture

  5. The Format Picture box will open.

  6. On the Picture tab, Click Compress at the lower-left.
    Picture Tab

  7. In the Compress Picture box,

    1. Select All Pictures in document.

    2. Select either Web/Screen or Print.

Your choice here depends on how this file will be used.  If this file will mostly be viewed on the computer select Web/Screen. If this file will be printed,, select Print. Print compresses at a slightly higher resolution. This yields a better print quality that is unnecessary for on-screen only view.

  1. Make sure that Compress pictures and Delete cropped areas of pictures are both selected.

  2. Click OK.
    Picture Settings

  3. A Compress Pictures informational box will open telling you that compressing may reduce the quality of your pictures. This is why you made the copy. All is well.

  4. Click Apply.

  5. Click OK.
    Picture Optimization

To compare the files size of your original file and the compressed file, go to the folder where your files are located, then go to View on the Menu bar and select Details.