how to compress all pictures in a powerpoint presentation

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How to compress images in microsoft powerpoint.

If you want to reduce the file size of your PowerPoint presentation and save disk space, compress the images in the slideshow. Here's how.

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Compress images in powerpoint for windows, compress images in powerpoint for mac.

Compressing images in your Microsoft PowerPoint presentation can help reduce the overall file size of the presentation and save disk space on the device it’s stored on. Here’s how to compress images in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Note that this feature is only available for desktop versions of Office and not Office for the web.

Open the PowerPoint presentation that contains the images you’d like to compress and then select a photo.

Once selected, you’ll automatically be in the “Picture Format” tab. Here, click the “Compress Pictures” button in the “Adjust” group.

The “Compress Pictures” window will appear. In the “Compression Options” group, you can choose if the compression applies only to the selected picture. If you uncheck this option, PowerPoint will compress all of the images in the presentation, which overrides any changes you may have made to those images.

Related: How to Reduce the Size of a Microsoft Word Document

In the “Resolution” group, choose which resolution you would like to use. Once ready, click “OK.”

The image or images will now be compressed.

Open the PowerPoint presentation that contains the images you’d like to compress and then select a photo. Once selected, click “Compress Pictures” in the “Picture Format” tab.

The “Compress Pictures” window will appear. Select the picture quality you’d like to use, then select if you’d like to apply the compression to all images in the presentation or only the selected image. Also, if you want to delete the cropped areas of the pictures, check the box next to that option.

When ready, click “OK.”

How to Compress Pictures in Powerpoint: A Step-by-Step Guide

Got a PowerPoint presentation with images that are too big? No worries, you can easily compress pictures in PowerPoint to make your presentation file size smaller. Whether you’re trying to save space on your computer or make your presentation easier to share, compressing pictures can help. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll have your images compressed in no time.

Step by Step Tutorial: How to Compress Pictures in PowerPoint

Before we dive into the steps, let’s briefly discuss what we’re aiming to achieve. By compressing pictures in your PowerPoint presentation, you’re reducing the file size of the images without significantly impacting their quality. This allows for easier sharing and storage of your presentation. Here’s how you do it:

Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation

Open the PowerPoint presentation that contains the pictures you want to compress.

When you open your presentation, make sure you’re on the slide with the picture you want to compress. If you have multiple pictures to compress, you can repeat the process for each one.

Step 2: Select the picture

Click on the picture you want to compress.

Once you’ve selected the picture, you’ll notice that the “Picture Format” tab appears on the ribbon at the top of the PowerPoint window. This tab contains all the tools you need to edit and compress your picture.

Step 3: Click on the “Picture Format” tab

Navigate to the “Picture Format” tab.

In the “Picture Format” tab, you’ll find various options to adjust your picture, including cropping, adding effects, and, most importantly, compressing the image.

Step 4: Click on “Compress Pictures”

Find and click the “Compress Pictures” button in the “Adjust” group.

The “Compress Pictures” button usually has an icon that looks like two mountains with a downward-pointing arrow. Clicking this button will open a new dialogue box with compression options.

Step 5: Choose your compression options

In the dialogue box, select the compression options that best fit your needs.

You’ll have a few options in this dialogue box, including whether to apply the compression to just the selected picture or all pictures in the presentation. You can also choose the resolution you want for the compressed picture, with lower resolutions resulting in smaller file sizes.

After you complete these steps, your selected picture will be compressed according to the options you chose. Your PowerPoint presentation will now have a smaller file size, making it easier to manage and share.

Tips: How to Compress Pictures in PowerPoint

Always save a backup of your original presentation before compressing images, in case you’re not happy with the results and want to revert.
Use the “Undo” feature if you accidentally compress a picture more than intended.
Compress pictures as the last step of your presentation creation process to avoid having to do it multiple times.
Consider the purpose of your presentation when selecting compression options; higher resolutions may be necessary for professional or printed presentations.
Experiment with different compression settings to find the right balance between image quality and file size.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i compress all pictures in my powerpoint at once.

To compress all pictures at once, follow steps 1-4, then in the dialogue box, select “Apply to all pictures in document.”

Will compressing pictures in PowerPoint reduce their quality?

Yes, compressing pictures can reduce their quality, but if done correctly, the difference is often minimal and not noticeable in most presentation settings.

Can I compress pictures in PowerPoint online?

The online version of PowerPoint has limited features, and as of now, it does not include an option to compress pictures.

Will compressing pictures affect the loading time of my presentation?

Compressing pictures will generally improve the loading time of your presentation, as the file size will be smaller.

Can I uncompress pictures after they’ve been compressed?

Once a picture is compressed and saved, you cannot uncompress it. Always keep a backup of your original presentation if you need to restore the original pictures.

Open your PowerPoint presentation.
Select the picture.
Click on the “Picture Format” tab.
Click on “Compress Pictures.”
Choose your compression options.

Compressing pictures in PowerPoint is a quick and easy task that anyone can do. Whether you’re a student, a business professional, or just someone looking to share a presentation with friends, knowing how to compress pictures is a valuable skill. Not only does it help reduce file size, making your presentations more manageable and shareable, but it also ensures that your slides load faster and run smoother.

Remember, always back up your original presentation, so you can maintain the highest quality images if needed. And don’t forget, the key to successful compression is finding that perfect balance between image quality and file size. Consider your audience and the context in which your presentation will be viewed.

Now that you know how to compress pictures in PowerPoint, you can confidently tackle any presentation, knowing that your images are optimized for any situation. Happy presenting!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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October 29, 2023
Comments Off on How to Compress All Pictures in PowerPoint
How to Compress All Pictures in PowerPoint

how to compress all pictures in a powerpoint presentation

Adding images to your PowerPoint presentations can really enhance your message and help communicate ideas more effectively. However, large image files can also make your PowerPoint file size unnecessarily large. Compressing pictures before inserting them into PowerPoint is a great way to reduce file size while maintaining image quality. So you might end up wondering how can PowerPoint compress all pictures at once?

In this post, I’ll go over a few different methods you can use to compress all pictures in your PowerPoint presentation.

In PowerPoint Compress All Pictures

The simplest option is to compress pictures directly within PowerPoint using the built-in compression tool. Here’s how:

Step 1: Insert the image you want to compress into your PowerPoint presentation.

Step 2: Select the picture, then go to the Picture Tools Format tab.

Step 3: Click on “Compress Pictures”.

Step 4: In the Compress Pictures dialog box, adjust the compression options:

Target output – choose Print (220 ppi) for images intended for print or Screen (96 ppi) for onscreen presentations. Print has a higher quality output while Screen compresses more with some loss of quality.
Delete cropped areas of pictures – check this box to automatically remove any unused portions of your images. This removes whitespace and allows better compression.
Apply to selected pictures only – check this to only compress the currently selected image(s). Leave unchecked to compress all images in the presentation.

Step 5: Click “OK”. PowerPoint will compress the image based on your settings.

The Compress Pictures tool allows you to easily reduce file size without sacrificing too much quality. Play around with the settings to find a good balance.

Some tips for getting the most out of PowerPoint’s built-in compression:

Compress images one at a time to control quality on important images. Use batch compression for less important graphics.
Try deleting cropped areas first, then use Screen compression if more reduction is needed.
Recompress images multiple times to reduce file size incrementally.
Use higher quality Print compression for major images you want to keep crisp.
Test compressed images at 100% zoom to spot any degradation or artifacts.

Though limited, the Compress Pictures tool can optimize images enough to make a significant difference in file size while maintaining good quality. You can read the official help article in the PowerPoint user document about how to compress images here .

Use a Third-Party PowerPoint Image Compressor

Tools like SlideSpeak offer automated free tools for PowerPoint to compress all pictures beyond what’s built into PowerPoint.

Check it out here .

Here’s how to use SlideSpeak to compress pictures in PowerPoint:

Step 1: Upload your PowerPoint file to the Slidespeak PowerPoint Compressor .

Step 2: Slidespeak will analyze your file and show you how much space you can save by compressing all pictures. This analysis helps you understand the potential for optimization.

Step 3: Choose your desired compression level:

Optimize File Size – maximum compression to reduce file size as much as possible.
Maintain Image Quality – moderate compression focused on retaining quality.

Step 4: Download your optimized PowerPoint file with compressed images.

Step 5: Check the new file size – Slidespeak claims up to 90% compression is possible without noticeable quality loss.

Step 6: Double check image quality at 100% zoom in the optimized presentation.

The benefit of using Slidespeak is it looks at all images in your presentation and uniformly compresses them based on your chosen optimization level. This can provide huge file size reductions while maintaining good image quality.

Some pointers for using Slidespeak effectively:

Try both optimization levels and compare file sizes and image quality.
For already compressed JPEGs, Optimize File Size may show little further reduction.
Re-run optimization several times until you stop seeing gains.
Review important graphics closely to watch for compression artifacts.

For a hands-off approach to compressing all PowerPoint images, Slidespeak can deliver great results.

Compress Pictures Outside of PowerPoint

You can also use external image compression tools to optimize images before inserting them into PowerPoint. Here are a couple options:

Use Online Image Compressors

Web-based tools like TinyJPG can optimize JPEG images with no effort:

Upload your image file to TinyJPG.
It will analyze and compress the image, typically by 60-80%, while maintaining quality.
Download the compressed image and insert it into your PowerPoint presentation.

The benefits of online image compressors:

No software needed – use entirely within your web browser.
Excellent compression on JPEGs with minimal quality loss.
Allow control over each individual image’s file size and quality.
Completely automated process.

Use Image Editing Software

When exporting images from programs like Adobe Photoshop , you can optimize compression and quality:

In Photoshop, choose File > Export > Save for Web.
Select JPEG format options to dial in image quality and compression.
Try different settings and export repeatedly to get the smallest file size with acceptable quality.
Export and insert the optimized image into PowerPoint.

Benefits of compressing images in editing software:

Fine-tune compression settings for each specific image.
Maintain maximum image quality and resolution.
Change format to efficient Web-friendly JPEG.
Remove EXIF data and artifacts that inflate file size.

Compressing images externally gives you more control over compression settings and ensures optimal compression on each individual image file before inserting into your PowerPoint presentation.

Other Built-In Microsoft Office Tools to compress pictures

While PowerPoint itself has robust image compression capabilities, you can also use other Microsoft Office apps to optimize images before bringing them into PowerPoint:

Microsoft Paint – The classic Paint app includes options to crop, resize, and save images in compressed JPEG format.

An other article that discusses how to crop images can be found here .

To optimize:

Open the image in Paint
Crop and resize as needed
Save As JPEG, adjust quality slider for compression

Microsoft Photos – This free app can resize, crop, and compress images with batch processing capability.

To compress:

Import your photos into the Photos app
Select images > Resize & Compress > adjust options
Export optimized JPEG files

The benefit of leveraging these Microsoft tools is you can achieve greater compression than PowerPoint offers, allowing you to reduce file size substantially before inserting images into your PPT presentation.

Tips for Further Reducing PowerPoint File Size

In addition to compressing images, a few other tricks can help minimize overall PowerPoint file size:

Delete unused slides – Prune your presentation to remove unnecessary slides and hidden slides.
Reduce animation – Limit the use of animations and transitions since these increase file size.
Minimize slides – Use fewer slides with more concise content to present your information clearly.
Convert videos – Change embedded videos to modern compressed formats like mp4.
Use a minimalist template – Avoid template backgrounds and design elements that add to file size.
Compress media – Use tools like PowerPoint Picture Compression on videos, GIFs, and other media.
Save as PDF – Convert to PDF format for significantly smaller file size.

Following PowerPoint image compression best practices, along with these additional tips, will allow you to easily create presentations with all the visual punch but a fraction of the mega-file weight.

Compressing pictures before adding them to PowerPoint is an easy way to reduce file size without compromising on image quality. Use the built-in PowerPoint tools, downloadable add-ins, external services, or photo editing software to find the best compression method for your needs. With the right approach, you can make your PowerPoint presentations faster to load and share without sacrificing aesthetics. A optimized presentation with compressed graphics keeps your audience focused on your message, not waiting for your file.

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How to Reduce Powerpoint File Size

Last Updated: March 29, 2022

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd . Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher. This article has been viewed 976,653 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to lower a PowerPoint presentation file's size by compressing its images on a Windows or Mac computer, or by clearing the editing data on a Windows computer. There is currently no option to delete the editing data of PowerPoint presentations on a Mac.

Compressing Images on Windows

If your PowerPoint file isn't yet open, first open it by double-clicking it.
It doesn't matter which picture you double-click, since all of them will open the appropriate tab.

Compressing Images on Mac

Removing Edit Data on Windows

Expert Q&A

Using JPEG files rather than other file formats will cut down on your presentation's overall size. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
When formulating a presentation, using the default plain backgrounds in your slides will make your file smaller than if you upload detailed backgrounds. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
If you can't get your PowerPoint file to shrink down enough to send it via email, you can upload it to a cloud service (e.g., Google Drive) and send an email with a link to the file instead. Your recipient will be able to download the file from Google Drive. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Reducing your images' quality will make a noticeable difference in your PowerPoint's overall quality. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Reduce-your-file-size-631d1d48-a56b-4fd4-ad66-091dd201db10?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US&fromAR=1#bmpp
↑ http://www.isumsoft.com/it/reduce-powerpoint-file-size-in-office-2016/

About This Article

1. Double-click an image. 2. Click Compress Pictures . 3. Remove the check mark from “Apply only to this picture.” 4. Select a lower DPI. 5. Click OK . 6. Click File . 7. Click Options . 8. Click Advanced . 9. Click Discard editing data . 10. Click OK and save the file. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Compress All Pictures in PowerPoint

A powerpoint document with a compressed image in the foreground

If you’re someone who frequently uses PowerPoint, you’ll know how important it is to ensure your file size isn’t too large. Large file sizes can cause issues when sharing your presentation or even decrease the speed at which your presentation will run. One way to tackle this problem is by compressing all the pictures in your PowerPoint presentation. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything from why compressing pictures is important to advanced techniques for optimizing images for web or mobile presentations.

Table of Contents

Why Compressing Pictures in PowerPoint is Important

Uncompressed pictures in a PowerPoint presentation can drastically increase its file size. This, in turn, can make sharing or uploading the presentation a time-consuming task. Additionally, if the presentation includes dozens of high-resolution images, it can cause a delay when opening the presentation. Therefore, it is essential to compress all the pictures in your presentation to ensure efficient file size and fast performance.

Compressing pictures in PowerPoint not only helps with file size and performance, but it also ensures that the presentation can be viewed on different devices without any issues. Large, uncompressed images may not display properly on some devices, causing the presentation to appear distorted or incomplete. By compressing the pictures, you can ensure that the presentation looks the same on all devices, making it easier to share and present to a wider audience.

Understanding Image Resolutions and Compression

Before we dive into compressing pictures in PowerPoint, it’s crucial to have an understanding of image resolution and compression. Image resolution refers to the number of pixels that make up an image. Generally, the higher the resolution, the higher the quality of the image, but also, the larger the file size. Compression, on the other hand, refers to the process of making a file smaller in size without compromising its quality. There are two types of compression: lossless and lossy. Lossless compression retains all the quality of the original image, while lossy compression reduces the file size at the cost of some quality.

It’s important to note that when compressing images, you should always aim to strike a balance between file size and image quality. If you compress an image too much, it may become pixelated or blurry, making it difficult to view. On the other hand, if you don’t compress an image enough, it may take too long to load, which can be frustrating for viewers. Therefore, it’s essential to experiment with different compression settings to find the right balance for your needs.

How to Check the Size of Pictures in PowerPoint

The first step in compressing all the pictures in your PowerPoint presentation is to check their file size. You can do this by selecting the picture, right-clicking, and choosing “Size and Position” from the dropdown menu. In the Size and Position dialog box, you’ll see the size of the image in kilobytes (KB) or megabytes (MB).

It’s important to keep an eye on the size of your pictures in PowerPoint, especially if you plan on sharing the presentation with others or uploading it to a website. Large image files can slow down the performance of your presentation and take up valuable storage space. To reduce the size of your pictures, you can use the “Compress Pictures” feature in PowerPoint, which will reduce the resolution of the images without significantly affecting their quality.

How to Compress Pictures in PowerPoint 2010/2013/2016/2019

The process of compressing pictures in PowerPoint is relatively straightforward. Here’s how to do it in PowerPoint 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019:

Open the PowerPoint presentation and select all the pictures you want to compress.
Click on the “Picture Tools” tab at the top of the window.
Click on the “Compress Pictures” button.
Choose the compression options you want. You can choose whether to apply the compression to just the selected picture(s) or all the pictures in the presentation. To apply compression to all pictures in your presentation, make sure to uncheck the checkbox that says “Apply only to this picture,” and then click OK.
Save your presentation to see the reduced file size.

It’s important to note that compressing pictures can result in a loss of image quality. If you’re working with high-quality images or images that need to be displayed in a large format, it may be best to avoid compression altogether.

Additionally, if you’re sending your PowerPoint presentation to someone else, it’s a good idea to check with them first to see if they need high-quality images. If they do, you may need to send the presentation without compression or send the images separately.

Step-by-Step Guide to Compressing All Pictures in PowerPoint at Once

If you want to compress all the pictures in your PowerPoint presentation at once, follow these simple steps:

Click “File” in the top menu bar.
Click “Info”.
Click on the “Compress Pictures” button, which will open a dropdown menu.
Under “Apply to,” select “All pictures in this file.”
Choose the level of compression that best fits your needs.
Click “OK” to apply the compression to all the pictures in your presentation.

It is important to note that compressing pictures may result in a slight loss of image quality. However, this loss is usually not noticeable to the human eye and can significantly reduce the file size of your presentation, making it easier to share and transfer.

Additionally, if you have a large number of pictures in your presentation, compressing them all at once can save you a significant amount of time compared to compressing each picture individually. This feature is especially useful if you need to send your presentation via email or upload it to a website with file size restrictions.

Selective Picture Compression: How to Compress Specific Images in PowerPoint

If you only want to compress specific images in your presentation, follow these simple steps:

Select the specific image(s) you want to compress.
Click on the “Compress Pictures” button under the “Picture Tools” tab.
Choose the compression options you want to apply.
Click “OK” to compress only the selected pictures.

It’s important to note that compressing images can result in a loss of quality. If you need to maintain the highest quality of your images, consider using a different method to reduce the file size of your presentation, such as compressing the entire presentation or using a file compression tool.

Best Practices for Maintaining Picture Quality While Compressing in PowerPoint

While compressing pictures in PowerPoint, it’s important to maintain their quality as much as possible. Here are some best practices to help you do just that:

Keep a backup of your original images before compressing them.
Use lossless compression whenever possible. This ensures that the image quality is preserved even after compression.
If lossless compression isn’t an option, use the lowest acceptable level of lossy compression possible to maintain picture quality.
Preview your compressed images before saving to ensure that their quality hasn’t been compromised.

Another important factor to consider when compressing pictures in PowerPoint is the size of the image. Large images take longer to load and can slow down your presentation. To avoid this, resize your images to the appropriate size before compressing them.

It’s also important to consider the format of the image. Some formats, such as PNG, are better for images with a lot of detail and text, while others, such as JPEG, are better for photographs. Choosing the right format can help maintain the quality of your images even after compression.

How to Set Picture Compression Options for Future Presentations

If you’re someone who frequently uses PowerPoint presentations, it would be a good idea to set the compression preferences once and for all. Here’s how:

Select “File” in the top menu bar.
Click “Options”.
Click “Advanced”.
Scroll down to the “Image Size and Quality” section.
Set the default resolution and compression levels.
Click “OK” to save your preferences.

Comparison of Different Picture Compression Methods in PowerPoint

While compressing pictures in PowerPoint, you’ll have a few different compression options available to you. Here’s a comparison of the different methods:

Built-in compression: This is the most commonly used method. It allows you to choose from different quality levels and compresses all of the images in the presentation at once.
Save As Picture: This feature allows you to save a compressed version of the image outside of the PowerPoint presentation.
Third-party tools: There are various third-party tools available that can compress images more efficiently than PowerPoint’s built-in tools. These tools often offer advanced features and better control over the compression process.

Benefits of Compressing Pictures in PowerPoint for File Size, Sharing, and Presentation Speed

As we’ve mentioned, compressing pictures in PowerPoint offers several benefits, including:

Reduced file size, making it quicker and easier to share or upload your presentation.
Faster loading times, as uncompressed images can slow down your presentation’s performance.
Increased compatibility, particularly if you’re sharing the presentation via email, as some email providers have file size limits.
Consistent presentation quality, as compressed images ensure all your pictures are the same size and shape.

Troubleshooting Common Issues While Compressing Pictures in PowerPoint

While compressing pictures in PowerPoint, you may encounter a few issues. Here are some of the most common and how to fix them:

The compressed images look pixelated: If you’re using lossy compression, increase the quality level until the image looks less pixelated.
Images are still large after compression: This may happen if the original image size was too large. In this case, consider decreasing the resolution before compressing it.
Compression not working: If you can’t seem to compress the images in your presentation, it may be because someone has set the properties of the pictures to disable compression.

Advanced Techniques for Optimizing Images for Web or Mobile Presentations

If you plan on using your presentation for a web or mobile audience, there are a few additional steps you can take to optimize the images for the platform. These include:

Choosing the appropriate image format: Generally, PNG and JPEG are the most commonly used formats for web and mobile presentations.
Adjusting the image size: Make sure your images aren’t too large for the screens they’ll be displayed on. Resizing them can help prevent slow load times.
Using image compression software: If you want to further optimize your images, there are several tools available online that compress your images without losing quality.

Conclusion and Tips for Effective Picture Compression in PowerPoint

Compressing pictures in PowerPoint is a quick and easy way to decrease file sizes, speed up presentations, and ensure consistent quality. To ensure effective picture compression, remember these tips:

Choose the appropriate compression level for each image, taking into account the purpose of the presentation and the quality of the original image.
Preview your images before saving to make sure you’re happy with the quality.
Compress all your images at once to avoid missing any and to ensure consistency.
Consider resizing and optimizing images further if you plan to use them online or on a mobile platform.

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Reduce the file size of a picture in Microsoft Office

You can reduce the file size and save disk space by compressing pictures in your document. The compression options reduce both the file size and picture dimensions based on how you intend to use the picture, such as viewing on screen or in an email message. You can compress all pictures in the file or just the ones that you select.

These features aren't available in Microsoft 365 for the web, but only the desktop versions of the Office apps.

You can send files with high-quality images easily, and without file limits, by saving to the cloud and then sharing files from OneDrive .

Compress individual pictures

When you don't need every single pixel in an image to get an acceptable version of it, you can compress pictures to make the file size smaller.

With your file open in your Microsoft Office application, select the picture or pictures that you want to compress.

If you do not see the Picture Tools - Format tab, make sure that you selected a picture. You may have to double-click the picture to select it and open the Format tab.

Also, depending on your screen size, you might only see the icons for the Adjust group. The Compress Pictures button appears without a label.

To compress the selected pictures only and not all of the pictures in the document, select the Apply only to this picture check box.

Clearing the Apply only to this picture checkbox will override any previous changes you have made for other individual pictures in this document.

Under Resolution , click the resolution that you want, then click OK .

The default picture resolution in Office is 220 ppi. You can Change the default picture resolution or Turn off picture compression .

Compression changes are made when you close this dialog box. If you aren't satisfied with the results, you can undo the changes .

Compressing a picture may make the image look different because of loss of detail. Because of this, you should compress the picture and save the file before applying an artistic effect .

Click the headings below for more information

Change default picture resolution for all pictures in a document

Important: This setting applies only to pictures in the current document or the document selected in the list next to Image Size and Quality . To make it the default for all new documents change the drop down.

Note that this feature is not available in Microsoft Project 2013 or in Office 2007.

Click the File tab.

Click Options and then click Advanced .

Under Image Size and Quality , use the drop down to select whether you want the change to apply to a specific document or all new (and future) documents.

Set the resolution that you want to default to, then click OK

Delete all picture editing data

Any info on the changes you've made to your picture are stored in your file. You can reduce the size of your file by deleting this editing data, but if you want to undo your edits you will need to reinsert the picture.

Note: This feature is not available in Microsoft Project 2013 or Microsoft Project 2016.

Under Image Size and Quality , click the document that you want to remove picture editing data from.

Under Image Size and Quality , select the Discard editing data checkbox.

Note: This setting applies only to pictures in the current document or the document selected in the list next to Image Size and Quality .

Change the default resolution for inserting pictures in Office

Editing photos without Picture Manager

Compress the media files in your presentation

Crop a picture

Turn off picture compression

To compress all pictures in your document, on the ribbon, select File > Compress Pictures (or File > Reduce File Size ).

Under the Picture tab, select Compress Pictures

Select an option in the Picture Quality box. Highest resolution is listed first and the lowest resolution is listed last.

Tip: If you have cropped any pictures, you can reduce the file size even more by selecting the Delete cropped areas of pictures check box.

Click Selected pictures only or All pictures in this file .

Note: If you use the File menu to choose all pictures in step 1, these options will be unavailable. Compression will be applied to all pictures in your document.

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How to Compress Images in PowerPoint

Brock University

What to Know

Select an image and choose Picture Tools Format > Compress Pictures . Choose a resolution, then select OK to compress images.
Options: Select Apply only to this picture to compress select images. Select Delete cropped areas of pictures to remove cropped areas.
Choose Email ( 96 dpi ) resolution unless you want print-quality images. There is little difference between 150 and 96 dpi.

Reducing the size of a file in PowerPoint is often a good idea. Photo compression quickly reduces the file size of one or all of your photos. In this guide, we show you how to compress images using PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010; PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, and PowerPoint for Mac.

How to Compress Photos in PowerPoint

Follow these steps to reduce the file size of your PowerPoint images.

Open the PowerPoint file containing pictures you want to compress and select the picture or pictures.

Select Picture Tools Format .

If you do not see the Format tab, make sure you have a picture selected.

Select Compress Pictures in the Adjust group. The Compress Pictures dialog box opens.

Place a check next to Apply only to this picture if you want to compress the selected picture or pictures. If you clear this checkbox, all images in the presentation are compressed.

Place a check next to Delete cropped areas of pictures if you want cropped areas to be deleted.

Choose a Resolution. In most cases, choosing Email ( 96 dpi ) is the best selection. Unless you plan to print out quality photos of your slides, this option reduces the file size by the greatest margin. There is little difference in the screen output of a slide at 150 or 96 dpi.

Select OK to compress the selected image(s).

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How to compress pictures in the presentation

When you try to add more than five slides with about four big pictures, your presentation file becomes bigger and bigger, and PowerPoint works slower and slower, wastes disk space needlessly, and hangs sometimes. Even if you insert just a part of the picture and crop the rest, PowerPoint keeps all pictures even if you don't see the rest of the picture.

Fortunately, PowerPoint offers the image compression utility that compresses all pictures in the presentation in a single step and reduces their resolution to the resolution specific for the type of output you specify (email, Screen, or Print).

To reduce resolution and compress images, do the following:

1. Select any picture, and the Picture Format tab appears:

2. On the Picture Format tab, in the Adjust group, click the Compress Pictures button:

3. In the Compress Pictures dialog box:

Compress Pictures dialog box in PowerPoint 365

To compress all pictures in the presentation, unselect the Apply only to this picture checkbox. To compress only selected picture, leave this checkbox checked.
To save invisible spaces of cropped-out areas of pictures, select the Delete cropped areas of pictures checkbox. When this checkbox is unchecked, PowerPoint just hides the "cropped" areas. Such "hiding" is good if you are planning to change cropped areas.
High fidelity: preserves quality of the original picture
HD (330 ppi): good quality for high-definition (HD) displays
Print (220 ppi): excellent quality for most printers and screens
Web (150 ppi): good for web pages and projectors
E-mail (96 ppi): minimize document size for sharing
Use default resolution – use this to match the resolution of the pictures to the resolution defined in the PowerPoint options (see how to check this resolution at the bottom of this tip).

4. Click OK to perform the compression.

Note : To see the default resolution, do the following:

1. On the File tab, click the Options button:

2. In the PowerPoint Options dialog box, on the Advanced tab, under Image Size and Quality , you can see the Default resolution :

See also this tip in French: Comment compresser des images dans la présentation .

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10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size

Compress PowerPoint presentations to reduce file size represented by large and small PowerPoint icons.

10 Strategies to Compress or Reduce the Size of Large PowerPoint Presentations

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 21, 2023

Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)

You can compress or reduce the size of large PowerPoint presentations in several ways. The most common strategy to reduce the size of a PowerPoint file is to compress pictures, video and audio. However, you can also use other methods to make files smaller including saving media and PowerPoint files in other formats and converting or removing embedded objects.

In this article, we'll look at 10 ways to compress or reduce the size of a PowerPoint presentation:

Compress pictures
Insert pictures instead of copying and pasting
Use smaller image files
Convert images to a different file type
Save a copy of images with artistic effects
Compress audio and video
Link to audio or video files
Convert Excel charts and other embedded objects
Save a copy of large PowerPoint files
Save a copy in PDF format

Note: Buttons and Ribbon tabs may display in a different way (with or without text) depending on your version of PowerPoint, the size of your screen and your Control Panel settings. For PowerPoint 365 users, Ribbon tabs may appear with different names. For example, the Picture Tools Format tab may appear as Picture Format.

To view file size in PowerPoint:

Click the File tab in the Ribbon.
Click Info. In the Properties area, file size is listed beside Size.

Microsoft PowerPoint File Info pane which displays properties including file size.

Once you've completed the following strategies, close and save the PowerPoint file, reopen it and check the file size again. You can also view file size in Windows 10 File Explorer or Windows Explorer in older versions of Windows.

Recommended article : How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom PowerPoint courses >

1. Compress pictures

One of the most common ways to reduce file size is to compress one or all of the pictures in your PowerPoint file. You may want to try this with one picture at a time to be sure you are satisfied with the result after compression.

To compress a picture:

In Normal View, select a picture on image on a slide.
Click the Picture Tools Format or Format Picture tab in the Ribbon.
In the Adjust group, click Compress Pictures. A dialog box appears.
Select the check box to Apply only to this picture if you want to compress only the current picture or uncheck this option if you wish to compress all pictures in the presentation.
Select the check box to Delete cropped areas of pictures if you have cropped images and want to permanently delete the areas you have removed by cropping.
Choose the desired document resolution.

PowerPoint compress pictures dialog box to reduce file size.

Don't forget to check pictures in Slide Master View (click the View tab in the Ribbon and then click Slide Master) as you may want to compress or delete those images as well.

Also, be sure to check image(s) after you compress them to be sure to are satisfied with the quality of the image(s). If you create a copy of the presentation before compressing the image(s), you can revert to the original if necessary.

2. Insert pictures instead of copying and pasting

It's best to insert pictures, rather than copying and pasting (or dragging and dropping) into the PowerPoint file. When you copy and paste (or drag and drop) an image into a presentation, it can lose compression, change file type and also bring in other data that can increase file size.

To insert a picture onto a PowerPoint slide:

In Normal View, display the slide where you want to insert a picture.
Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon and click Pictures (2013 and later versions) or Picture (2010). You can also click the Pictures or Picture icon in a placeholder on a slide. A dialog box appears.
Navigate to the location of the picture.
Select the picture and click Insert or double-click the picture.

You also have the option of linking to a picture file by clicking the arrow beside Insert in the Insert Picture dialog box and then choosing Link to File. However, the picture is not actually "in" the file (which reduces file size) and if you email the document, the pictures will not be included. If you use this strategy, it's best to copy the picture to the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation and be sure to bring the entire folder with you when you deliver the presentation.

3. Use smaller image files

It's best to insert pictures in smaller sizes to reduce the size of your PowerPoint files. For example, if you are inserting pictures from a phone taken at a high resolution, this will result in larger PowerPoint decks. Create, save or send images at a lower resolution and insert the lower resolution images into your PowerPoint files.

If you're using stock images, select images at the lowest resolution (at the quality level you require). You can also open an image in an image editing program (such as Microsoft Picture Manager or Adobe Photoshop) and then save it at a lower resolution.

In PowerPoint 365, one of the biggest culprits causing inflated file size is 3D models. Although 3D models are not inserted as pictures but rather as 3D models, they are images. One 3D model we inserted took up 17 MB of space. You can't compress 3D models like other types of images so you may need to delete 3D models or use a picture instead of a 3D model if file size is an issue.

4. Convert images to a different file type

Prior to inserting an image in PowerPoint, you can open it in an image editing program (such as Microsoft Picture Manager or Adobe Photoshop) and then use Save As to save the image in another format.

The format that will result in the smallest size is usually JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group format) or JPG. The JPEG compression algorithm significantly reduces the file size of images.

You can also save images in PowerPoint in different formats:

Right-click the picture. A drop-down menu appears.
Select Save As Picture. A dialog box appears.
Navigate to the folder where you want to save the image.
Enter a name for the file and select a format such as JPG or PNG.
Click Save.
In the PowerPoint presentation, delete the original image.
Click Insert and then click Picture(s).
Navigate to the location with the image you saved.
Double-click the image.

5. Save a copy of images with artistic effects

When you apply an artistic effect to an image, PowerPoint retains two copies of the image (the original and a copy with the artistic effects). This allows the user to reset the image but can significantly increase file size. Compressing pictures also doesn't normally have any effect on images where you have applied artistic effects.

If you have applied an artistic effect (such as blur) to an image, you can reduce file size using the following method:

Right-click the image with the artistic effect. A drop-down menu appears.
Enter a name and select a file type (usually JPG or PNG).
In the PowerPoint presentation, delete the image with the artistic effect.
Navigate to the location with the image you saved with the artistic effect.

6. Compress audio and video

In 2010 and later versions of PowerPoint, audio and video files are copied into presentations rather than linked to the original files. You can improve playback performance and reduce PowerPoint file size by compressing audio and video files in your presentation.

Files can be compressed at different quality levels.

In PowerPoint 2013 and 2016, you can compress to the following quality levels:

Presentation Quality – select this option to save space but maintain overall audio and video quality.
Internet Quality – select this option and quality will be comparable to media which is streamed over the web.
Low Quality – select this option if space is limited, such as when you are sending presentations via e-mail.

Compress media options in PowerPoint older versions to reduce file size.

In PowerPoint 2019 and 365, you can compress to the following quality levels:

Full HD (1080p) – select this option to save space while maintaining overall audio and video quality.
HD (720p) – select this option to save space and the quality will be comparable to media which is streamed over the Internet.
Standard (480p) – select this option when space is limited, such as when you are sending presentations via e-mail.

The following compression options appear in PowerPoint 2019 or 365:

Compress media options PowerPoint 2019 or 365 to reduce file size.

Note: Some older video file formats may not compress or export properly. Embedded subtitles and alternate audio tracks will be lost in the compression process.

To compress media in PowerPoint:

Open the presentation that contains the audio or video files you want to compress.
Save a copy of the presentation so you can retain a copy of the file with the original media.
In the copy, click the File tab in the Ribbon.
Click Info.
In the Media Size and Performance area, click Compress Media. A dialog box appears.
Select the desired compression option. A dialog box appears indicating that media compression is in progress. PowerPoint will indicate how much space is saved.
When compression is complete, click Close.

Compress media dialog box in Microsoft PowerPoint to reduce file size.

7. Link to audio or video files

You also have the option of linking to audio or video files. When you insert an audio or video file, click the arrow beside Insert in the Insert dialog box and then choose Link to File. Linked audio or video is not actually "in" the presentation (which reduces file size) and if you email the presentation, the media files will not be included if you have linked to audio or video files. Linking was the default behavior in PowerPoint 2007 and earlier versions for video and larger audio files.

If you choose to link to audio or video files, t's best to copy the media files to the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation and be sure to bring the entire folder with you when you deliver the presentation.

Note: You cannot apply certain types of formatting to linked video files.

8. Convert Excel charts and other embedded objects

Embedded objects such as Excel charts or worksheets can also increase file size. If you convert embedded objects to images, it can impact the size or your presentation. You can also reduce file size by breaking links to Excel files.

If you want to convert embedded objects into pictures, you can ungroup them or cut and paste them back into PowerPoint.

To ungroup an object:

Select the chart or embedded object.
Click the Format tab in the Ribbon. This tab may appear as Drawing Tools Format, Drawing Format or Shape Format.
Select Group and then Ungroup. A dialog box appears asking if you want to convert the object to a PowerPoint object.

To cut an object and paste it back into a presentation as a picture:

Select the embedded chart or object.
Press Ctrl + X to cut it.
Click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
Click the arrow below Paste to display the drop-down menu and then choose Paste Special.
Select an image type (such as JPEG) and click OK.

PowerPoint paste special dialog box to compress embedded files and reduce file size.

If you have links to Excel files, you can reduce file size using Edit Links to Files. Check out How to Break, Update or Change Links to Excel Charts or Worksheets in PowerPoint for more information on how to break links.

9. Save a copy of large PowerPoint files

It's a good idea to save a copy of a large PowerPoint files periodically using Save As and give the file a different name (i.e. Sales Presentation and the date). If you save a copy using Save As, version history and some editing data is removed during the process and this will reduce file size. This can also help avoid corrupted files.

To save a copy of a PowerPoint presentation:

Choose Save As. If necessary, click Options or More Options. A dialog box appears.
Navigate to the desired location.
Enter a new name for the presentation.

10. Save a copy in PDF format

It's also common to save a copy of a presentation as a PDF (portable document format) file to reduce the size and then share it with others. You can compress images during the process.

To save a PowerPoint presentation as a PDF (and compress images):

Choose Save As and then click Options or More Options if necessary. A dialog box appears.
Navigate to the desired location and enter a name for the file. You can use the same name since the extension will be different (PDF).
Under File Type, select PDF.
Click Tools on the bottom right of the dialog box. A drop-down menu appears.
Select Compress Pictures. A dialog box appears.
Click the desired compression option.

Large file size is a common problem in PowerPoint and you can use these strategies to reduce the size of your PowerPoint presentations. Compressing the size of your decks should also help to improve speed and avoid crashes.

This article was originally published on November 6, 2016 and has been updated for clarity and content.

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You can insert or type e with an accent mark in PowerPoint using built-in tools or keyboard shortcuts (including Alt code shortcuts). The letter e can be inserted with an accent in both upper or lower case in text boxes or placeholders on slides, the slide master or layouts. The following are common accents in upper or lower case – È, É, Ê, Ë, è, é, ê, or ë.

How to Fade a Picture or Part of a Picture in PowerPoint (Using a Gradient)

You can fade a picture in PowerPoint by drawing a rectangle shape on top of the picture and then filling the rectangle with a gradient from opaque to transparent. This technique is often used to fade an image into the background of a slide. Since the rectangle is placed on top of the image and then text may be placed on top of the rectangle, you may need to reorder the objects.

How to Lock an Image, Shape or Other Object in PowerPoint

You can now lock an image, shape or other object in PowerPoint. Objects can be locked in Normal View or Slide Master View. Only PowerPoint 365 users can lock objects to prevent moving and resizing. This is helpful if you want to select and move other objects on the slide or prevent others from moving or resizing an object. You can lock items using the context menu or the Selection Pane.

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10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size

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How to Compress PowerPoint Presentation Images

Whether you want to share a PowerPoint presentation with a colleague via email or upload it to a website, one of the best ways to reduce the size of a PowerPoint file is to compress its images.

Visuals play a key role in a presentation. Especially today, audiences respond well to images and graphics better than text. As a result, we tend to add as many images as we can into a slideshow to make it more effective.

However, it also comes with a disadvantage. With more images, your PowerPoint presentation gets heavier in size. And that can be an issue when you’re trying to share that presentation online.

In this guide, we’ll show you an easy fix you can use to compress images in your PowerPoint presentations to reduce the file size without affecting the quality of the images.

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Why Compress Images in PowerPoint?

Images come in all sizes and when you add an image to a PowerPoint presentation it adds up to the total size of the PowerPoint file. For example, adding 10 high-resolution images to your slideshow could make the file size as high as 50mb or more.

This makes it almost impossible for you to attach the PowerPoint presentation in an email because email apps such as Gmail have file size limits for attachments. For Gmail, the max file size for attachments is 25mb.

Thankfully, PowerPoint has a built-in option for fixing this problem by compressing images. When you compress images, it reduces the file size of your images without damaging the image or affecting its quality too much.

How To Compress Images in PowerPoint

PowerPoint has a tool that allows you to compress the images in a slideshow. This tool is available in the Picture Tools. Here’s how to use it.

First, select an image on your PowerPoint slideshow
Once you select an image, a new Format tab called Picture Tools will appear. Select this tab and click on Compress Pictures . This will open the Compress Pictures tab
From here, you can select whether to compress only the selected image or compress all images on the PowerPoint presentations
If you’ve used any shapes as placeholders for images, you can crop out the excess areas of the images to reduce the size as well
Finally, choose an option based on your needs to compress images

Note: Some of these compression options will not be available if you’re using low-resolution images in your presentation. Compression is only available for high-resolution images with large file sizes.

Which Image Compression Method to Choose?

PowerPoint allows you to compress images in several different levels based on the output resolution and the PPI, which reduces file size based on pixels per inch.

For example, if you’re sharing the PowerPoint file via email for reference, you can choose the option made specifically to optimize the file for email attachments. But, when you compress a PowerPoint file using the Email option the presentation won’t look great on a Full HD screen.

Choose the option that’s most suitable for your project and purpose. Keep in mind that extreme levels of compression can often affect the quality of the images.

In most cases, it’s best to leave the original images without any compression, especially if you’re planning on presenting the slideshow on a larger screen or projector.

In Conclusion

Even though PowerPoint’s built-in compression tool works well for reducing file size, it’s best to use an image editing software like Photoshop to compress and resize images without damaging the quality of the image.

If you’re looking for a great design for your presentation, be sure to check out our best minimal PowerPoint templates collection.

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How To Compress Pictures in PowerPoint: 15 Tips and Tricks

February 22, 2023
54 Comments

Have you ever had to throw together a presentation at the last minute? Maybe you’re waiting for your graphics and there’s no time to edit. Or maybe you’ve got some amazing visuals that deserve their own moment in the spotlight. Regardless of the reason, PowerPoint has become one of our most valuable collaboration tools when it comes to creating presentations. Even if you’re not a fan of Microsoft software, there’s a lot about how it works.

One of those features is its ability to compress pictures in PowerPoint so they take up less space than they would if they were in their original format. You see, when images are compressed, they take up less storage space – which means your presentation can have more visual impact without eating into precious file storage like with uncompressed images.

That way if you have an audience who doesn’t know much about photography or graphic design, they won’t be able to tell right away that your presentation isn’t professional grade.

What is compression in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint is a software program used to create and publish presentations . In order to send these documents to other people, you must include an image in one of your slides. When creating an image for a PowerPoint presentation, you may want to consider using one of the PowerPoint’s compression options. Compression is the process of reducing the size of an image file without degrading its quality.

To make the most of space in your presentation and compress pictures in PowerPoint, you can compress the image with PowerPoint. When you choose to compress an image, you’re actually reducing the image’s resolution. With a lower resolution, you can fit more images on one slide, which saves space and time. If you don’t want to compress images on a large scale, you can also choose to compress a single copy of each image you include. This way, you’ll still be able to see the images, but you’ll save on space.

How to Compress Pictures in PowerPoint

To compress an image in PowerPoint, click the “gear” icon on the top right of the app and then select “Format” from the menu. From there, select “Page” and then select the picture you want to compress. You can also compress images from the “Insert” tab.

Click the “Image” icon, select your image and then click “Compress.” Some people prefer to compress images within PowerPoint directly. While this method may be quicker, it can be difficult to compress images proportionally. Instead, you may want to use a tool to compress images on a bulk level.

Don’t over-compress your pictures

It’s important to remember when compressing images that you don’t overdo it. You don’t want to compress an image to the point that it loses all of its quality. In most cases, you should be able to compress an image to somewhere between 50-70% of its original size and still have it look OK. If you compress a picture too much, it may not look as good in print.

If you have the ability to print your presentation, look at the printed version of your presentation to make sure that your images look OK. If they don’t, you can try compressing the image again to a lesser extent. Just remember, if you can’t get the print version to look OK, the audience may not appreciate your presentation as much as if you didn’t compress the images to begin with!

Choose a picture quality for your presentation

PowerPoint creates a set of presets for image quality when you compress images. Each preset has its own level of quality, but some may be better suited to your presentation. To change the quality of your images, go back to the “Format” menu in “Page” and select “Create Preset.”

From there, select your new preset. This will now affect the images you compress. As you can see, there are many factors to consider when it comes to compressing images in PowerPoint. We hope this guide has helped you get a better understanding of this topic.

When Should You Use Higher Quality Photos?

Higher quality images are good for printing. It’s important to note that while higher quality images can look better when printed, they’re still only half the resolution of a low quality image. That means they’ll only take up half the space as well. That means if you’re printing a PowerPoint presentation to hand out to your colleagues, you may want to choose a lower quality.

But if you want to give them a copy on their own computer or laptop, you may want to go with a higher quality. If you want to give a copy to someone who doesn’t have a PowerPoint presentation, it can be helpful to include a lower quality version.

Tips for Better Photos in Your Presentation

There are a few tips you can use to improve your photos when compressing them in PowerPoint. Before you compress a photo, make sure it has a well-exposed, clear image. That way, you can scale it down to a smaller size and still have it look good.

Try to keep your photos unedited so that they don’t have a lot of grain. Grain occurs when an image is out of focus and is visible in low quality photos. It will be more noticeable when you compress the photos as it will look grainy and pixelated. If you can, try to keep your images in a colour space like sRGB rather than using a colour space like Adobe RGB.

Final Words

The great thing about PowerPoint is that it can be used in so many ways. Once you get the hang of the program, you can create highly effective presentations that have great visual impact. You can show off your photos and graphics in an engaging way that looks great in print.

Of course, you can’t trump great visuals with good writing. That’s why it’s also important to research good writing techniques that will help you create better, more memorable content.

It’s also important to remember that visual content is more likely to be read than textual content. This means you have to make sure your visuals are done well. That’s why it’s so important to compress images in PowerPoint. By doing this, you’ll be able to reduce the file size of your presentations without losing their impact

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How to Compress a PowerPoint

PowerPoint Tutorials
Miscellaneous
April 22, 2019

Before you go to the effort of compressing your PowerPoint presentation, ask yourself if you even need to bother?

If you are not having trouble sharing your presentation, or you don’t need to email it to anyone (maybe you can share it on a USB instead), don’t worry about how large your presentation is.

If you’ve added lots of images, videos, graphics, and 3D models, your PowerPoint presentation might be huge. But so what?

Only follow these steps if you find that your presentation is becoming unwieldy or too big to share. And then, only do the minimum required to get to a functional state.

[watch] 6 ways to compress a powerpoint presentation.

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1. Compress Images in PowerPoint

If you have lots of images in your presentation, you can save a lot of space by compressing them. This is a fast and uncomplicated way to reduce your PowerPoint file size.

You can also save a lot of file space in PowerPoint by converting your PNG images into JPEG images. To learn how to do that before you compress your images, read our guide here .

Example of how much space you can save in PowerPoint by compressing your images in PowerPoint

Notice in the picture above how much space was saved using the different compression options.

The HD (96 ppi) compressed file is 17x smaller than the original presentation. Just make sure when you compress your images that you pay attention to their quality. The more you compress an image in PowerPoint, the more quality you will lose.

Ideally you want to use the HIGHEST quality resolution as possible, especially if you are presenting on a large overhead projector.

To compress your images in PowerPoint, follow these steps.

1. Open the Picture Format tab

Select a picture and open the Picture Format tab

Select a picture in PowerPoint to open the Picture Format tab in your Ribbon and select it.

The Picture Format tab is where all the commands and features related to working with and editing images are located.

For example, to see how to turn an image into a black and white drawing using the Artistic Effect features in PowerPoint, read our guide here .

If you do not see the Picture Format tab in your PowerPoint Ribbon, it means you have not selected an image or photo to work with. The Picture Format tab is contextual and will open only once you have selected an image or picture to work with.

2. Select the Compress Pictures command

Inside the Picture Format tab, find and select the Compress Pictures command.

Depending on your screen resolution and the size of your computer monitor, this command might appear as just an icon.

Either way, the icon should be to the right of the Transparency command.

3. Choose your compression options

Choose your compression options for your images in PowerPoint

You have two main compression options to choose from:

Apply only to this picture : This determines if the resolution you pick is applied only to the picture you have selected or to all the pictures within your presentation.

Most often, your images will require different compression resolutions. That’s why I recommend keeping the Apply only to this picture option selected and working your way through the images in your presentation one by one.

If you know that you want all of the pictures in your presentation compressed to a specific resolution, you can choose to unselect this option.

Delete cropped areas of pictures: Selecting this option removes any cropped areas in your pictures as part of the compression process. This will dramatically decrease the size of any images you have cropped.

However, please note that once you do this, you lose all the parts of the images that you cropped out. This means that you won’t be able to return to the original image and adjust the cropping.

To expand your knowledge and learn how to crop your pictures in PowerPoint to save additional space before you compress them, read our guide here .

4. Choose your resolution

Next, choose the resolution you want your image(s) compressed to. The smaller the resolution, the smaller the size of the images and the smaller the size of your presentation.

The question is, what is the best resolution to pick? This depends on how you plan to give your presentation.

If you’re presenting on a large overhead projector, I recommend choosing a higher resolution like HD (330 ppi) so that all your images are sharp and clear. If you are printing or just showing someone your presentation on your laptop, then Print (220 ppi) is fine.

I don’t recommend going much smaller than these two resolutions as the overall quality of your images will decrease rapidly.

For more help choosing the right resolution when compressing images in PowerPoint, see our guide here .

5. Click OK

Once you have made your compression choices and picked a resolution, click OK and PowerPoint will compress your image(s) for you.

Once PowerPoint finishes compressing your images, I recommend reviewing the quality of the compression to make sure everything looks okay. If you find that your image looks grainy, hit Ctrl+Z to undo and choose a higher resolution.

2. Compress Videos in PowerPoint

Videos and media files (like audio files) can be huge!

So if you have a video or other media files in your presentation, compressing them is another fast way to reduce your PowerPoint file size. Or better yet, if you realize you are not using a specific video (or rarely use it), remove it.

Using the default video compression options in PowerPoint, I saw the following results, reducing my file size by over 6x.

Example of how much space you can save in PowerPoint by compressing your videos

To compress your videos and other media in PowerPoint, simply follow the following steps.

1. Select the File tab

Click the File tab to open the backstage view of PowerPoint.

Videos and other media are all compressed in the backstage view of PowerPoint, not in the Video Format tab like you might think.

Click the File tab in PowerPoint to open the backstage view

2. Select the Info tab

Find and click the Info tab to access the Compress Media tools.

In the backstage view click the Info tab

3. Open the Compress Media dropdown

Inside the Info tab and u nderneath Media Size and Performance, PowerPoint tells you the total size of the media files (video and audio) in your presentation.

Find and select the Compress Media command, which should be at the top of the Info tab.

Select the Compress Media command to see your video and media compression options

If you do not see the Compress Media command, that means that you don’t have any media that PowerPoint can compress.

You can only compress videos and other media inside your current PowerPoint presentation.

If you have narrated your presentation using PowerPoint’s built-in Record Slide Show command, your narration videos and audio do not require compression. To learn how to narrate a PowerPoint using PowerPoint’s built-in Record Slide Show command, read our guide here .

4. Choose a compression file size

In the Compress Media dropdown, choose one of the three compression options for your videos and other media:

Full HD (1080p)
Standard (480p)

Choose how much you want to compress your videos and other media files within your PowerPoint presentation

If you are not sure which compression option to choose, I recommend at least compressing using the Full HD (1080p) option. In my compression tests, the Full HD (1080p) reduced the size of my original video by half.

Full HD (1080p) works great for any overhead projector or monitor you will be presenting on. If you need to save more space, you can test out one of the smaller formats. But be careful. Just like when compressing images and photos, the more you compress your videos (or other media) the lower the quality of your video.

As a best practice when building presentations, use the highest compression rate you can without sacrificing the quality of the videos (or other media).

5. Wait as PowerPoint compresses your videos

After choosing a compression size, PowerPoint will begin compressing all the videos in your presentation. When it’s done, a dialog box will show you how much space you saved with each compressed video.

For example, for a raw video I inserted and compressed in PowerPoint, I saved 872.5 MB. That is A LOT and it allows me to share my presentation more easily.

To expand your knowledge and learn how to embed a video in PowerPoint (and learn how it is different than embedding a YouTube video), read our guide here .

Example of how much space you can save when you compress a large video file in PowerPoint

3. Clean out the Master Views in PowerPoint

Before you worry about compressing any of your images or videos, see if you can reduce your file size by removing hidden and unused elements in your presentation.

One of the culprits of a large PowerPoint file size (especially if you don’t feel like you have that many slides in your presentation), is hidden graphics on one or more of the following masters in PowerPoint:

Slide Master (most common)
Handout Master
Notes Master

The three master views of PowerPoint are the Slide Master, the Handout Master and the Notes Master

It’s common to find excessively large graphics or things you can eliminate to reduce file size in your different master views. That said, you do not want to just delete anything you find there. That is because someone might have set them up for a reason in the first place. Double-check before you start deleting things, but this is a common way to cut down the size of your deck

A. Slide Master - Hidden graphics

To navigate to the slide master view in PowerPoint, click the View tab and select the slide master command

To navigate to the Slide Master view to spot check your child slide layouts, simply:

Navigate to the View tab
Select Slide Master
Spot check your Child Slide layouts

Here you want to look at your Child Slide layouts and see if there are any with extremely large pictures or media files that you are not using.

Then you can decide whether to compress them (as mentioned above) or delete them.

You might also find a lot of duplicate Child Slide layouts that you can simply remove. This happens when people copy and paste between presentations that don’t have a consistent or well-built PowerPoint template. To expand your knowledge and learn how to create your own custom PowerPoint template from scratch, read our guide here .

B. Handout Master - Hidden graphics

Click the View tab and select the Handout Master in PowerPoint

To navigate to the Handout Master view of your presentation, simply:

Select Handout Master in your Ribbon
Spot check your Handout Master

Here you are looking for excessively large company logos or graphics that you can compress or remove.

PowerPoint shapes such as rectangles, lines and text boxes are fine. Removing them will not impact the size of your presentation.

Formatting your Handout Master is a fantastic way to create customized slide handouts of your presentation, but if there are excessively large graphics here, compressing or removing them can help you decrease the size of your presentation.

C. Notes Master - Hidden graphics

Select the View tab, then click the Notes Master command to navigate to your Notes Master

To navigate to the Notes Master view of your presentation, simply:

Navigate to the View Tab
Select Notes Master in your Ribbon
Spot check your Notes Master

If you find any excessively large images, or multi-media elements here, removing them will reduce your overall file size. You don’t have to worry about any shapes, lines, or text boxes (these will never increase the size of your presentation). You are looking for unnecessarily large graphics, or graphics that are placed outside of the Notes Master area (as those will never appear on your handouts anyway).

Formatting the Notes Master is a terrific way to create branded handouts for your speaker notes. However, if there are large graphics here that you are not using, compressing, or removing them can help reduce the size of your presentation.

To learn more about your Notes Master and how it affects the formatting and layout of your speaker notes in PowerPoint, read our guide here .

To expand your knowledge and learn how to professionally print your speaker notes in PowerPoint, read our guide here .

4. Swap out 3D Models and Other Media

If you have the Office 365 subscription ( check it out here ), you can now add 3D models and graphics into your presentations from the Insert Tab, 3D Models dropdown.

To insert a 3D model in PowerPoint, click the Insert Tab and use the 3D Models command

Click the Insert tab
Open the 3D Models dropdown
Select the location source for your 3D model

Below are examples of animated 3D models you can insert into PowerPoint. I’ve selected the rhinoceros.

Example selecting the 3D rhinoceros in PowerPoint using the new 3D models command

These 3D models can be quite large and there is currently no way to compress them. Notice in the picture below how adding just one animated 3D model adds over 26 MB to the PowerPoint file.

Example of how much space you can save by swapping out your 3D models in PowerPoint

So if you need to reduce the size of your presentation, try to replace any 3D models with a static image. For example, instead of using the 3D rhinoceros, use a picture of a rhinoceros instead.

Notice that the picture of the rhinoceros is 7x smaller than the 3D model on the left.

If you want to keep the 3D look of your model, you can also Copy ( Ctrl+C ) and Paste Special ( Ctrl+Alt+V ) your 3D model as a PNG image. That will retain the 3D look of the model in your presentation without its size. To expand your knowledge and learn more about the Paste Special shortcut (which is also the trick to pasting formatting in Excel), read our guide here .

Example of using a picture of a rhinoceros instead of the 3D model of a rhinoceros to reduce your PowerPoint file size

5. Convert PowerPoint to PDF

If you don’t need to present using PowerPoint, instead of trying to compress your presentation, you can simply convert it to the PDF file format.

That’s because the PDF conversion process automatically compresses images and removes any videos, 3D models, etc.

Use the Save As dialog box to convert your PowerPoint presentation into a PDF document

To convert your presentation to the PDF file format, simply:

Hit F12 to open the Save As dialog box
Change the File Type to PDF
Click Save

Just be aware that not everything in your presentation will properly convert to the PDF file format. You will lose quite a few things, such as animations and transitions. To learn all the ins and outs of converting a PowerPoint presentation into a PDF file format, read our guide here .

6. Compress PowerPoint as a ZIP File

As a last resort, you can also try to reduce the size of your presentation by compressing it into a ZIP file.

While this technique compresses everything in your presentation, it doesn’t always save you a ton of space.

For example, notice in the picture below how my file size has only been reduced by 4MB using this ZIP folder technique.

Example of how much space you can save by using a compressed (ZIP) folder

If you need to keep all of your videos, graphics, and 3D models as they are, this might be your best bet Just keep in mind that it might not save you a ton of space and you may be better off using something like OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox.

How to create a compressed (zipped) folder

Right-click your file in the File Explorer window, select Send To and then select compressed (ZIP) folder

To compress your PowerPoint presentation into the ZIP file format, simply:

In File Explorer, Right-Click your file
Select Send to
Choose the Compressed (zipped) folder option

Selecting the Compressed (zipped) folder , PowerPoint compresses your presentation as much as possible. How much room it saves depends on what is in your presentation. If you have already compressed your images and other multi-media files, then you will not save much space.

Below you can see the dialog box showing you that your presentation is being compressed.

Example of Windows compressing a file in a ZIP folder

How to extract a compressed (zipped) folder

To unzip a compressed folder simply right-click the folder and select Extract All

To decompress a zipped file, simply:

Right-Click the zipped folder
Select Extract All…
Choose a File Location to extract your folder to
Click Extract

Extracting your file turns your zip folder into a normal folder with your original PowerPoint file in it. Instead of just zipping your PowerPoint file, you can add additional files to a folder and ZIP the entire folder. In this way, you can reduce the overall file size of a number of files or documents you want to share with a client or colleague.

Compressing the different elements of your presentation is a great way to reduce your overall PowerPoint file size.

Just remember that compressing your PowerPoint presentations is an optional step. If you are not having any trouble sharing it with other people, don’t bother.

That’s because while reducing your file size can make it easier to share with others, it can also decrease the quality of the images and media.

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How to compress PowerPoint files.

A woman sitting at a table compresses PowerPoint files on her laptop.

Want to save space on your computer? Learn how to compress a PowerPoint to save space and make your presentation easier to share.

Need to learn how to compress Microsoft PowerPoint files but not sure where to begin? Whether you want to save space on your device or avoid file size issues in an email, compressing your PowerPoint is a great way to keep file sizes to a minimum and make your presentation easier to store and manage.

When is compressing a PowerPoint file beneficial?

While a PowerPoint in its original quality is great for presenting, it may not always be the easiest to share and store on your computer. Compressing PowerPoint files is a great way to save space while keeping your hard work.

Here are a few reasons you may want to compress your PowerPoint:

Improve shareability over email. Most email platforms limit the file sizes that you can share. If your Powerpoint contains a lot of content, especially photos and videos, it may be more difficult to share over email. Compressing the PowerPoint ensures that the same content is shared, just as a smaller file size.
Have more storage space on your computer. By compressing your PowerPoint file, you leave room for more important documents to be stored on your computer.
Boost productivity. By spending less time waiting for a file to upload, you can place your attention on other important tasks.

Steps: How to compress a PowerPoint file.

There are a few different methods you can try within the PowerPoint application and outside of it to reduce your PowerPoint file size and easily be able to share and save your content.

You can reduce the size and quality of any images in the presentation, reduce audio and video content, compress the PowerPoint as a PDF, compress it as a zip file, or swap any 3D models with static images.

Compress a PowerPoint file by reducing the size and quality of your images.

While there’s no way to compress the entire file in PowerPoint, you can reduce the size and quality of all the images to reduce the whole presentation’s size.

Instead of going through your complete presentation and editing your images one by one (which you can do if you want), there’s an easy way to compress all your image files at once:

Open the presentation in PowerPoint.
Click File on the top toolbar and choose Options > Advanced.
Check “Discard editing data.”
Uncheck “Do not compress images in file.”
Select 150 PPI or lower in the Default resolution dropdown menu.

These steps will reduce the file size of all the images in your presentation, effectively compressing the entire PowerPoint. The more pictures you have, the more it’ll compress the file.

Compress a PowerPoint file by reducing the size of audio and video files.

Audio and video content takes up a lot of storage space in a presentation.

You can reduce the size of audio and video files by following these steps:

Click on the File tab in the upper-left corner.
Select Info from the dropdown menu.
Click Compress Media. There are three options for compression.
Choose your compression option. Click Close once the file is done compressing.

Ensure the file is compressed to your liking. If the compression does not meet your standards, adjust the settings as needed.

Compress a PowerPoint file as a PDF.

An easier way to compress a PowerPoint is to first convert the PPT to a PDF using an online PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat online services. PDF files are smaller and easier to share than PowerPoints.

To convert your PowerPoint to a PDF, follow these easy steps:

Visit the online PDF converter tool.
Upload the PowerPoint you want to convert.
Let the software do its magic.
Download your new PDF file.

The PDF file should be much smaller than the original PowerPoint, making it easy to store and share. If the file size is still too big, you can reduce it even further by compressing the PDF online .

Compress PowerPoint files as a ZIP file.

By changing the PowerPoint to a ZIP file, the whole presentation size will be reduced.

Use these steps to transform your PowerPoint into a ZIP file:

Click File in the upper-left corner.
Choose the Open option.
Right-click the project you wish to compress. Additional options will appear.
Choose “Send to” and more options will appear.
Find the option named “Compressed (zipped) folder.” Choose this option to compress the file.

Compressing PPT files on macOS and Windows.

In the macOS PowerPoint, you can reduce the file size of images but not music or videos.

Here are the steps to compress your PowerPoint on a Mac:

In PowerPoint, click File. If you only want to compress certain images, select them before you click File.
From the dropdown menu, click Compress Pictures.
Printing — highest quality.
Viewing on Screen — reduces image quality by 30%.
Sending in an email message — compresses images by another 30% or so.
Choose whether or not you’d like to delete portions of the photos that have been cropped out. By doing this, you can reduce the file size.
Decide whether you want to compress every photo in the slideshow or only the ones you already selected. Click OK when done.

For Windows, follow these instructions:

Click File and make sure Info is selected in the left sidebar.
Click Compress Media. Depending on the version of PowerPoint, the button will either say Multimedia or Media Size and Performance.
Choose the highest quality option if you want to maintain the presentation quality for in-person presentations.
Choose the middle option for a presentation best suited for the internet.
Choose the lowest quality option for the highest compression so you can easily share the PowerPoint over email.

Tips on how to reduce PowerPoint file size.

There are a few methods that can help reduce your PowerPoint file size.

Analyze image quality. Presenting high-quality images, audio files, and videos can create a more engaging experience for your audience. Each time you compress images, double-check to be sure they still look presentation-ready.
Replace 3D models. While 3D models are a unique component of presentations, they take up more storage space. Opting for similar static images may be the best option for sharing your presentation.
Convert images to JPEG. If your photos are in the PNG format, you may want to make them JPEGs. You can easily do this in PowerPoint by right-clicking the pictures and then choosing “Save as Picture.” From there, under “Save as Type:,” choose the option named JPEG. Save, and you’re done.

More resources to work with your files.

After compressing PowerPoint files, here are additional ways to work with your documents:

Learn two ways to convert a PDF to Google Slides for presentation.
Discover how to delete a slide in PowerPoint .
Learn how to redline documents in Word .
Discover how to convert a PPT to Google Slides .

Discover what more you can do with Acrobat online services to simplify editing and managing your PowerPoint and PDF files.

IMAGES

How to: Compress images in PowerPoint
How to Compress a PowerPoint?
How to compress pictures in PowerPoint
Compress Images and Disable Auto Compression in PowerPoint 2019
How To Compress A Powerpoint Presentation
compress pictures in powerpoint presentation

VIDEO

How to Compress a PowerPoint PPT File
How to compress a picture in PowerPoint online
Pictures editing in Powerpoint || #powerpointtutorial #presentationdesign #presentationtips #design
How to Compress a PowerPoint PPT File
How to Reduce PowerPoint Presentation File Size on Windows
Screencast showing how to quickly add lots of images to PowerPoint and then compress them

COMMENTS

How to Compress Images in Microsoft PowerPoint
Compress Images in PowerPoint for Windows. Open the PowerPoint presentation that contains the images you'd like to compress and then select a photo. Once selected, you'll automatically be in the "Picture Format" tab. Here, click the "Compress Pictures" button in the "Adjust" group. The "Compress Pictures" window will appear.
Reduce the file size of your PowerPoint presentations
Reduce the character set of embedded fonts. To make your presentation more sharable with others who don't have the same fonts in their system, it's typical to embed the fonts you use. However, embedded fonts will increase your file size. To minimize the file increase, embed only those characters used in the presentation. Go to File > Options ...
How to Compress Pictures in Powerpoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 2: Select the picture. Click on the picture you want to compress. Once you've selected the picture, you'll notice that the "Picture Format" tab appears on the ribbon at the top of the PowerPoint window. This tab contains all the tools you need to edit and compress your picture.
How to Compress Images in PowerPoint to Reduce File Size (10 Strategies)
To save a PowerPoint file and compress images: Click the File tab in the Ribbon. Choose Save As. If necessary, click Options or More Options. A dialog box appears. Navigate to the desired location and name the file with a different name (such as OurServices2). Click Tools. A drop-down menu appears.
How to compress all Pictures in a PowerPoint presentation
Email (96ppi) Use default resolution. Select any one option from that list, then hit the OK button to compress the image. Now, before hitting the OK button, you can choose to have the changes made ...
How to Compress All Pictures in PowerPoint
In PowerPoint Compress All Pictures. The simplest option is to compress pictures directly within PowerPoint using the built-in compression tool. Here's how: Step 1: Insert the image you want to compress into your PowerPoint presentation. Step 2: Select the picture, then go to the Picture Tools Format tab. Step 3: Click on "Compress Pictures".
3 Ways to Reduce Powerpoint File Size
2. Click Reduce File Size. It's toward the bottom of the drop-down menu. 3. Click Picture Quality. Doing so will invoke a drop-down menu. 4. Click Best for sending in e-mail. This option will reduce the quality of all images in your PowerPoint file to 96 ppi, which is a generally lower resolution than most images' defaults.
How to Compress All Pictures in PowerPoint
If you want to compress all the pictures in your PowerPoint presentation at once, follow these simple steps: Click "File" in the top menu bar. Click "Info". Click on the "Compress Pictures" button, which will open a dropdown menu. Under "Apply to," select "All pictures in this file.". Choose the level of compression that ...
How to Compress Images in PowerPoint
1. Open the Compress Pictures dialog box. Select your image in PowerPoint to open the Picture Format tab, then click the Compress Pictures command. Keep in mind that the PowerPoint ribbon is contextual. That means you first need to select an image before the Format Picture tab appears. Also note that for the Compress Pictures command, depending ...
Reduce the file size of a picture in Microsoft Office
Under Picture Tools, on the Format tab, in the Adjust group, select Compress Pictures. If you do not see the Picture Tools - Format tab, make sure that you selected a picture. You may have to double-click the picture to select it and open the Format tab. Also, depending on your screen size, you might only see the icons for the Adjust group.
How to Compress Photos in PowerPoint
Open the PowerPoint file containing pictures you want to compress and select the picture or pictures. Select Picture Tools Format . If you do not see the Format tab, make sure you have a picture selected. Select Compress Pictures in the Adjust group. The Compress Pictures dialog box opens.
How to Compress a PowerPoint Presentation
To compress your PowerPoint document just follow these steps: a. Go to File > Info. b. Choose the Compress Media option. Just like with images, it will give you quality options, and pick the one that fits better your needs. c. A new window will pop up to show you the compressing progress.
How to compress pictures in the presentation
To reduce resolution and compress images, do the following: 1. Select any picture, and the Picture Format tab appears: 2. On the Picture Format tab, in the Adjust group, click the Compress Pictures button: 3. In the Compress Pictures dialog box: In the Compression options section: To compress all pictures in the presentation, unselect the Apply ...
10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size
10. Save a copy in PDF format. It's also common to save a copy of a presentation as a PDF (portable document format) file to reduce the size and then share it with others. You can compress images during the process. To save a PowerPoint presentation as a PDF (and compress images): Click the File tab in the Ribbon.
Compress all images in PowerPoint presentation at one time by Chris
Batch compress your images in PowerPoint so you can email and share your presentation. In this example, I have 8 slides that are 11MB and after compress it i...
How to Compress PowerPoint Presentation Images
Select this tab and click on Compress Pictures. This will open the Compress Pictures tab. From here, you can select whether to compress only the selected image or compress all images on the PowerPoint presentations. If you've used any shapes as placeholders for images, you can crop out the excess areas of the images to reduce the size as well.
How to: Compress images in PowerPoint
STEPS TO COMPRESS IMAGES: MAC - MICROSOFT POWERPOINT. Open your PowerPoint file. Select a slide that contains an image or picture. Select the image or picture. Click the Picture Format ribbon at the top of the screen. Click Compress Pictures (to the right of the Transparency icon). Click the Picture Quality drop down and choose Best for Sending ...
How To Compress Pictures in PowerPoint: 15 Tips and Tricks
To compress an image in PowerPoint, click the "gear" icon on the top right of the app and then select "Format" from the menu. From there, select "Page" and then select the picture you want to compress. You can also compress images from the "Insert" tab. Click the "Image" icon, select your image and then click "Compress.".
Compress all images in Microsoft PowerPoint by Chris Menard
To compress all images in PowerPoint, click an image, click on Format tab under Picture tools. Click compress pictures and remove the check box in apply only...
Compress Pictures in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows
To reduce the resolution and compress images within PowerPoint 2016 for Windows, follow these steps: Open the presentation, navigate to any slide that contains a picture and select it. This brings up the Picture Tools Format contextual tab on the Ribbon as shown in Figure 1 (highlighted in blue ). Figure 1: Picture Tools Format tab.
How to Compress a PowerPoint
To compress your videos and other media in PowerPoint, simply follow the following steps. 1. Select the File tab. Click the File tab to open the backstage view of PowerPoint. Videos and other media are all compressed in the backstage view of PowerPoint, not in the Video Format tab like you might think. 2.
How to compress PowerPoint files: Compressing PPT
Uncheck "Do not compress images in file." Select 150 PPI or lower in the Default resolution dropdown menu. Click OK. These steps will reduce the file size of all the images in your presentation, effectively compressing the entire PowerPoint. The more pictures you have, the more it'll compress the file.