Large Powerpoint files

[Guest]

I'm using Office XP. I have about 50 PowerPoint files that are larger then
10 MB. Some of the files are up to 50 MB. The reason the files are so
large, is because some of the pictures are quite large. I know how to
convert the picture to jpeg to save space. My problem is there are so many
pictures on numerous slides. Is there an easy way to find out the size of a
slide or a group of pictures? I have about 1000 slides to look at and even
more pictures, so cutting and pasting the slide or the picture into a new
presentation would take to long. Picture compression helped, but I need to
do better.

 

[John O]

Check out http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00062.htm

(Did you change the Compress Pictures option to "Web/Screen"?)

-John O

 

[Guest]

Yes I did try the "Web/Screen" compression. In my test presentation it
didn't change the size at all. To give you more detail, we have a lot of eps
files, which can be quite large. The end user doesn't look at the size of
the eps file before they insert it into their presentation. I can easily fix
the problem by converting the eps file to a jpg file, but I don't want to go
through and convert thousands of pictures. Some of the pictures may already
be in the jpg format. I don’t think you can tell the format of a picture in
PowerPoint.

In my test presentation I inserted one 5 MB eps file and saved the document.
The document was about 5 MB. I compressed the picture using web/screen and
saved the file under a different name. The file was still 5 MB. I cut the
picture, did a paste special, and selected jpg. I saved the presentation and
it was 53 KB.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Yes I did try the "Web/Screen" compression. In my test presentation it
didn't change the size at all. To give you more detail, we have a lot of eps
files, which can be quite large.

I'm betting that PPT's compression won't even touch EPS files. They're not like
normal graphics files; more like computer programs that turn into graphics when
run on a printer that speaks PS.

EPS and PPT aren't a happy combination in PPT as a rule; unless you're printing
to a PS printer all of the time, you're not really printing the EPS anyhow, just
the preview image. It might be best to remove these from the reach of the users
and batch convert to, say, PNG.

 

[John O]

we have a lot of eps

files, which can be quite large.

Ahh, OK, that's a major detail. Eps is often problematic in many
programs and workflows; there's an argument to be made that they should not
be used anywhere if alternatives can do the job...for instance if these are
just photos, there's no reason to make them into eps, althout many designers
like to do just that...because that's what they like to do. Anyway...

The end user doesn't look at the size of
the eps file before they insert it into their presentation.

Normally this is the beauty of the compress tool: just stuff them in there
without a care in the world, and compress later. But you've run into a fly
in the Ppt ointment.

I can easily fix
the problem by converting the eps file to a jpg file, but I don't want to
go
through and convert thousands of pictures.

Photoshop can do batch conversions, but again, that eps source is an itchy
spot. I fear your max file size requirement may be out of reach without some
drastic action. What if you do a PDF instead of a PPT? That's the postscript
printer Steve mentioned, which should handle eps just perfectly, and you
might get a small PDF. Those can make pretty good presentations...

-John O

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Ahh, OK, that's a major detail. Eps is often problematic in many
programs and workflows; there's an argument to be made that they should not
be used anywhere if alternatives can do the job...

Big "if" when it comes to vector graphics. All of the other common create very
low barometric readings by comparison.

for instance if these are
just photos, there's no reason to make them into eps, althout many designers
like to do just that...because that's what they like to do. Anyway...

Photos as EPS are handy when you want to create vector clipping paths.

Or if you need to bring them into PPT and have them come back out unmolested
(ie, PS workflow, you're color managing the photos, have converted them to CMYK
and don't want PPT mucking about with them).

Maybe that's what's going on here; otherwise, the only good reason I know of
for using them in PPT is to cause trouble.

 

[Guest]

EPS batch conversion will help prevent the problem in the future, but it
won't help with my current problem. I don't think the PDF solution will work
either. Users like to edit their PPT presentation from month to month, so
for the PDF solution to work all the users would have to have Adobe Writer
and we would still have to keep the PPT because I don't think you can edit a
PDF. I don't have a lot of experience with Adobe, but I think you create a
document in one application and convert it into a PDF.

It sounds like the only solution to my problem is to go into each PPT and
convert the pictures.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

EPS batch conversion will help prevent the problem in the future, but it
won't help with my current problem. I don't think the PDF solution will work
either. Users like to edit their PPT presentation from month to month, so
for the PDF solution to work all the users would have to have Adobe Writer

Aside: If you mean PDFWriter, no; bad choice for use with PPT and EPS graphics.
But if you have PDFwriter, you also have Distiller, which is the one to use.

But yes, all the users would need to have a way of converting to PDF.

and we would still have to keep the PPT because I don't think you can edit a
PDF.

That's correct; or you can edit it, but only minimally. Think "change spelling of
a word here, a number there" rather than "edit" and you've got it.

I don't have a lot of experience with Adobe, but I think you create a
document in one application and convert it into a PDF.

On the money again.

It sounds like the only solution to my problem is to go into each PPT and
convert the pictures.

If you don't have the original EPS to revert to, yes.