How to reduce file size of PowerPoint Presentations?

You’ve spent hours creating an awesome presentation, including lots of well thought-out images and graphics.  But when you try and share your file via email, you realize it’s too large to be sent. Wondering how to make a PowerPoint file smaller?

If that’s a situation you have experienced, you need know about the PowerPoint Compress Picture function. In standard PowerPoint you will find it on the Picture Format tab.

PPT Productivity PowerPoint plugin also includes this feature in the Image group on the PPT Productivity ribbon so that it’s only one click away. Let me show you how to compress a PowerPoint!

How do I compress pictures in PowerPoint?

To use this feature - select an image in your presentation then click the ‘Compress Picture’ icon. The ‘Compress Picture’ dialogue box will appear.

You can compress individual pictures in your PowerPoint presentation, or all pictures.  To compress all, simply uncheck the ‘Apply only to this picture’ option.

If you do not need to edit your pictures further, leave the ‘Delete cropped areas of pictures’ checked. However, if you intend to make further changes to your pictures/ images, we strongly suggest leaving this option unchecked (until you’re ready to finalize the PowerPoint presentation).

What resolution should I use when compressing pictures?

There are multiple resolution options available when you choose to compress pictures in PowerPoint. The Web (150 dpi) option is recommended for PowerPoint presentations to be projected or used on a web page. The Email (96 dpi) option is a good size for files to be emailed.

Once you have selected your preferred option, save your file. You can check the updated size of your PowerPoint presentation at this point by going to the file tab in PowerPoint and selecting ‘Info’. You should see that the file size of your PowerPoint presentation has been reduced (refer to the red box in the screenshot below for an example of where to view PowerPoint file size).

Remember – emailing as PDF once you have compressed pictures will further reduce your file size (if the recipient doesn’t need access to an editable version).

PPT Productivity add-in's new Proofing Tools features include a feature to Reduce File size in PowerPoint. The feature makes it easy to compress pictures, delete cropped areas of pictures and delete unused slide masters across your PowerPoint presentation in a single click, making it a quick way to reduce your PowerPoint file size.