PPTs with lots of embedded graphics - how to cut down on file size

[Guest]

I receive lots of PPT files that contain embdded graphics - no telling how
they got in there originally. Some of the files end up getting bloated, and
I'd like to cut down on the file sizes, if I could.

Can anyone offer some *general* tips on how one might go about editing a PPT
to reduce the file size requirements? I'm really looking for a cookbook.
"Do this, then that. Then try this. Etc." For instance, I think I've read
elsewhere that one approach would be to save the graphic as a jpg, cut it,
and then insert the jpg. Will this always work? Is it the preferred
approach?

What if a slide contains a number of graphics - is there a technique that
woudl allow groupng those and then processing the group all at once to reduce
the file size?

Advice certainly appreciated.

 

[Echo S]

I think this is exactly what you're asking for:
Why are my PowerPoint files so big? What can I do about it?
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00062.htm

 

[Guest]

Great pointer - thanks!
--
Dave Jenkins
K5KX

I think this is exactly what you're asking for:
Why are my PowerPoint files so big? What can I do about it?
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00062.htm

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Can anyone offer some *general* tips on how one might go about editing a PPT
to reduce the file size requirements? I'm really looking for a cookbook.
"Do this, then that. Then try this. Etc." For instance, I think I've read
elsewhere that one approach would be to save the graphic as a jpg, cut it,
and then insert the jpg. Will this always work? Is it the preferred
approach?

What if a slide contains a number of graphics - is there a technique that
woudl allow groupng those and then processing the group all at once to reduce
the file size?

In addition to the link Echo mentioned, you can select a graphic (or graphics)
on a slide and press CtrlC to copy. Then choose Edit, Paste Special and pick
PNG or JPG (depending on which gives the best results). Finally, delete the
original.

If you think you'd like a bit better resolution than this gives you, enlarge the
original on the slide a bit before doing the copy. Or if you really want to
pound the file size down and don't care if graphics quality suffers a bit,
*shrink* the original before copy/pasting.

Note: has to be Paste Special ... plain old paste will just give you another
exact copy of what you already have.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Steve.

All of these techniques are going to help. Would be nice if PPT had an
(undoable) optional tool that would let you say, "Minimize the size for this
file".

TTYL

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Thanks, Steve.

All of these techniques are going to help. Would be nice if PPT had an
(undoable) optional tool that would let you say, "Minimize the size for this
file".

It wouldn't be nice at all. At least not for those of us who write add-ins that
provide this sort of ability. ;-)

You've probably seen the info about our PPTools Optimizer in the links you've
been looking over. It's one of these. While it doesn't exactly offer an
explicit undo, it never touches your original file, always works on a copy. So
"undo" is as simple as "close the optimized copy, open the original"