Being a format that usually includes a set of high-quality images, videos, graphics, charts, and much more, it’s no wonder that PowerPoint files are large in size. This not only takes up a large amount of storage space, but also takes longer to display within PowerPoint, especially on somewhat older devices. Additionally, large file sizes pose a problem when trying to share them online; in addition to having to wait a long time for them to be uploaded, some sites may refuse to upload the file due to exceeding the maximum size limit. The best way to solve this problem is to reduce the size of the presentation file, and luckily, this is possible in more than one way which we will explain in this article.
Article updated on
09/5/2023
Method 1:
Compress the embedded images in the file
Having many images in the presentation is largely the reason for the large size of a PowerPoint file, to the extent that it can sometimes exceed 100 megabytes! Removing some images is not a practical solution to overcome the problem, but compressing the images. This method is very effective and reduces a significant portion of the original file size without losing any data – instead of sacrificing the quality of the images included in the file. PowerPoint allows you to do this on all images at once without the need for external programs or tools.
All you have to do is open the file in the program and click on “Files” then go to the “Save As” page from the side menu and click on the “Browse” option to specify the location to save the file – or the new version of it – then click on the drop-down “Tools” menu and choose “Compress Pictures”. Now make sure to check the box next to Delete cropped areas of pictures then choose the type of image resolution (in pixels per inch – PPI) in the presentation. For example, if you want to send this file via email, the optimal option is 96ppi where all images will be compressed to the maximum extent to make the file size suitable for sharing. In general, after selecting the appropriate Resolution option press OK then Save to save the file in a smaller size.
Method 2:
Convert the file to PPTX format
PPTX is the main format for saving any PowerPoint file since Microsoft introduced Office 2007. Before that – in older versions – the PPT format was the main one, and although it is very old, it is still used today in presentations and exchanged between users every day and can even be viewed in Office 2021 without problems. But if you have a PowerPoint file in PPT format, you need to convert it to the new PPTX format if you are interested in reducing the file size. The PPTX format is efficient at compressing the contents of the presentation without compromising quality, which helps reduce the file size but not to the extent of the previous method – in the best cases, only 1 or 2 megabytes will be saved. All you have to do is open the PowerPoint file saved in PPT format, then click on File at the top, and from the left side menu go to the Info page and click on the Convert button next to Compatibility Mode.
When the Save As window appears, select PowerPoint Presentation from the Save as type drop-down menu, then choose the location where you want to save the file and click Save. A second version of the file will be created but in PPTX format and should be smaller in size than the PPT version. However, this depends on what’s inside the file and the compressibility of the content. But if the result is not satisfactory, try the remaining methods below.
Method 3:
Use the Insert function to add images
While preparing a presentation in PowerPoint, some users find it easy to add images by copying and pasting them in the designated place on the slide. Yes, this is a great way to save time – but it comes at the expense of file size! The reason for this is that PowerPoint automatically converts JPG image format to PNG when using the copy and paste method instead of the built-in Insert function. So, if you copied an image with a size of 100 kilobytes and JPG format and then pasted it into the program, its size will become 150 or even 300KB even though it is the same image but because its format has become PNG. The result is adding unnecessary size to the presentation file. Whereas if you use the Pictures option under the Insert tab, the image will be added in its original format, so there will be no impact on the file size.
Method 4:
Avoid using built-in tools to edit images
When preparing a presentation using PowerPoint, it is better to add images that do not need any additional modifications. And if they do, use programs like Adobe Photoshop to edit them instead of using the built-in tools in PowerPoint. The reason is that when you use the built-in tools, the program stores all these changes and saves them as part of the presentation so that you can revert them at any time. For example, if you increase the brightness and contrast of the image, PowerPoint will keep the original version of the image before the modification, adding to the file size. Therefore, it is preferable to rely on any external image editor to accomplish this, although it will increase the size of the image as well, but not in the same way as PowerPoint.
Method 5:
Use NXPowerLite software
NXPowerLite program is a practical and fast solution if you want to simplify all the above methods and easily reduce the size of a PowerPoint file, as it is designed specifically to compress PDF files and Microsoft Office files as well as images in various formats such as JPG, PNG, TIFF, or BMP, making it easy to attach and share them online. The program has a very simple graphical interface, and of course, it does not require internet access during use. However, it is free for a trial period of only 14 days, after which you will need to purchase the paid version.
After installing the program on your computer and running it, click on Add files at the top, select the PowerPoint file/files you want to reduce in size, then click the Add button to add them to the program’s main interface. By default, the main method of compression results in a clear loss of quality in the contents of the file, so you need to click on the Optimize profile menu, then choose New optimize profile and go to the PowerPoint tab to specify how you want to reduce the file size. You can control the compression rate of JPEG images and apply specific dimensions to all included images…etc. Then select a name for this method and click OK, then select it from the Optimize profile menu.
Now click on the Optimize button at the bottom and wait for the compression process to complete, which will take only a few seconds to create a second version of the file with a smaller size. During our test, the program was able to make the file equal to 212 kilobytes after it was 5.2 megabytes at a compression rate of 96%, and yet there was no clear impact on the content quality – so we recommend trying it.
◀ Video clip for illustrating the steps:
