How-To Geek

How to reduce the file size of a powerpoint presentation.

Need to chip off some KB from your presentation's file size? Try some of these handy tips.

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Convert your presentation to the pptx format, insert your pictures—don’t copy and paste, do image edits in an image editor—not in powerpoint, compress all of the images in your presentation, don’t use embedded fonts, link to files instead of embedding them, don’t store a thumbnail for the presentation, remove personal and hidden information from your presentation, turn off autorecover, copy everything into a new presentation, a possibility: unzip the presentation and compress it.

Considering that Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are generally accompanied with tons of images, gifs , embedded videos , charts , graphs, and other content, it’s no surprise that you get some pretty big files. Here are a few steps you can take to reduce a presentation's file size.

Large files can be annoying. They take up loads of precious disk space, slow down playback performance, and can cause emails to bounce back due to exceeding the file size limit. You can prevent all of these things by reducing the file size of your presentation.

We’ve mentioned it before, but the first thing you’d think of when considering file size reduction is images—and for a good reason. Image files can be quite large. There are steps you can take to reduce the size, such as compressing the images in the presentation. If you suspect the reason your PowerPoint file is so large is due to images, then be sure to read the article we’ve written on how to reduce the size of Office documents that contain images .

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

We do have some additional tips to add if you followed these steps but still need to reduce your presentation’s file size.

Microsoft released the PPTX format in Office 2007. Still, it’s not uncommon to see PPT files floating around. So what’s the difference between a PPT and PPTX  file? The PPTX version compresses all of the content within the presentation. If you have a PPT file and convert it into a PPTX file, you’ll notice a decrease in the file size.

Converting the file is as simple as pressing a button and choosing the file type. Go ahead and open your PPT file, head over to the “File” tab, and then click “Convert.”

Convert presentation

Windows File Explorer will appear. You’ll notice the Save As type is set as "PowerPoint Presentation." This is the PPTX file type. Click “Save.”

Save as type

Your PPT file will now be converted to a PPTX file. As you can see, the size of the file has been reduced.

reduced file example

HTG Presentation 2 is our PPT file, and HTG Presentation 3 is our PPTX file. Merely converting the file type reduced the size by 335 KB.

While this isn’t a breathtaking drop in file size, we managed to reduce a Word document file size from 6,001 KB to 721 KB. It all depends on what’s inside the file. With any luck, this will be the only step you need to take. If not, keep reading.

It’s tempting to copy and paste an image in PowerPoint instead of using the insert function. This won’t be an issue if you’re not concerned about file size, but if you are, then beware of copy and paste—it may reformat your image to BMP or PNG. Why is this an issue? Both of those file formats are larger than JPG.

png to jpg conversion size difference

You can see in the above screenshot that the PNG file is 153KB compared to the 120KB JPG file of the same image. Each time you copy and paste a JPG file to PowerPoint, and it gets converted to PNG, you’re adding a bit of unnecessary file size to the presentation. Using the insert function will ensure your images are inserted as intended.

When you insert an image in PowerPoint, it’s best to make sure that it doesn’t need any edits. If it does require edits, you’re better off doing it in an image editor. Why? When you use PowerPoint to edit your image, it stores all of those edits as part of the presentation. For example, when you change an image to black and white, PowerPoint retains the full-color image as well. That’s a lot of extra bites being stored.

If you don’t have an image editor ( you do ) or you simply must use PowerPoint, be sure to tell PowerPoint to discard all of that excess data saved from the edits . It won't save you as much space as working in a dedicated editor, but it will help.

You can compress images in PowerPoint one at a time or all at once. If you’re looking to do the latter, here’s how.

Open your presentation, head over to the “File” tab, and then select “Save As” in the left-hand pane.

select save as option

Next, select “More Options,” which you'll find under the area where you would name your file and choose the file type.

More Options in Save as tab

The “Save As” window will appear—this time with a few extra options available to you. Next to the “Save” button, click “Tools.”

Tools in save as dialogue box

In the drop-down menu that appears, select “Compress Pictures.”

Compress pictures option in tools

The “Compress Pictures” window will appear. Here, you can choose the resolution type of the images (based on PPI) in the presentation. You’ll also notice that you’re not able to select the “Apply only to this picture” option in the “Compression Options” group. That’s because, due to the way we accessed this tool, this option isn’t available.

Note:  If you do want to compress a single picture, select it and then head to Picture Tools Format > Compress Pictures.

Once you’re happy with your selection, click “OK.”

compress pictures window

Be sure to save your presentation afterward.

We get why you might want to embed fonts—you might be making a Star Wars themed presentation and, as a result, anyone you may be sharing the presentation with is not likely to have those special fonts available to them. Embedding the fonts in your presentation could prevent issues down the line, but it comes at the cost of increased file sizes.

In general, unless you are sure you need to display a particular font, we recommend turning off font embedding.

Head over to the “File” tab and select “Options” at the bottom of the left-hand pane.

Options at bottom of lefthand pane

On the “Save” tab, untick the “Embed fonts in the file” checkbox and then click “OK.”

uncheck embed fonts box

We saved a copy of our presentation with all fonts embedded, without fonts embedded, and with only the fonts used in the presentation embedded. Look at the difference if file sizes:

difference in file size with embedded fonts

Convinced yet?

Consider the difference in file size if you embed an entire YouTube video in your presentation instead of linking back to it. Embedding an entire video will significantly increase the size of your presentation. There are certainly some valuable benefits when embedding a file vs. linking to it (such as when the recipient might not have internet access to play the video), but if the file size is an issue, just don’t do it.

Way back when Office let you save thumbnail images of your presentation so that you could get a sneak preview of the file when searching for it in File Explorer. Windows has grown to be more sophisticated, so it no longer requires the help of Office applications to do this. But, the option is still available.

We ran a little test to see the difference in file size with and without this option enabled. Here are the results:

don't save thumbnail

With the thumbnail option enabled, our file size was 2,660 KB. Without the option enabled, the file size was reduced to 2,662 KB, saving a total of 7 KB.

This is a pretty small save, but when we tested it with a Word document, the difference was significant, showing 721 KB without the option enabled, and 3,247 KB with the option enabled.

While this is a large gap between applications and it’s not exactly clear why the difference is so large, it’s still an option worth exploring. To disable the feature, open your presentation, head over to the “File” tab, and then select “Properties” found on the right-hand side, then “Advanced Properties.”

select properties

You’ll now be in the “Summary” tab of the “Properties” window. At the bottom of the window, uncheck the box next to “Save preview picture,” and then click “OK.”

uncheck save preview image

Microsoft Office will store your personal information (such as author name) and hidden properties within your presentation. Getting rid of this information can save you a bit of space.

Open your presentation, head over to the “File” tab, select the “Check for Issues” option, then select “Inspect Document."

Inspect Document

The “Document Inspector” window will appear. Make sure the “Document Properties and Personal Information” box is checked, and then click “Inspect."

Inspect the document

In the next window, select “Remove All.” The information will now be removed, saving you a few KB of space.

We don’t necessarily recommend this, and it should only be used as a last resort effort. AutoRecover is an essential tool in Office, and if you’ve ever lost a document before saving, then you understand precisely what we mean.

Each time Office uses AutoRecover, it adds a little to the size of the file. To turn AutoRecover off, head over to the “File” tab and select “Options” found at the bottom of the left-hand pane.

In the “Save” tab of the “Options” window, uncheck the box next to “Save AutoRecover information ever xx minutes.”

uncheck autorecover option

If you save and exit out of the presentation immediately, you won’t notice a difference. Over time though, as you continue to progress through the presentation, the AutoRecover feature will add KB to your file.

While you’re creating your presentation, PowerPoint will save various things in the background to help you out. We’ve mentioned how to turn off a lot of these features, delete data PowerPoint saves, and so on, but there’s always a chance something slipped through the cracks, and PowerPoint stored some information you don’t need. Copying your content over to a new presentation may be a good solution to the problem.

This may be a bit of a hassle though as, with PowerPoint, you’ll need to copy and paste each slide (and master slides). Once you do though, the new presentation won’t have any of the previous background saves, AutoRecover information, or previous versions of the file. As a result, you should see a change in file size.

While we can’t tell you exactly how much this will reduce your file size since each presentation will be different, it’s worth a shot.

As we mentioned earlier, a PPTX file is a compressed file (which is why the size is much smaller than an old-school PPT file). This means you can open it with a tool such as 7-Zip or WinRar, extract all the files from your PPTX, add them to a compressed archive, and then rename the archive to a PPTX file extension.

We had some issues here, though.

In Rob’s testing with his Word document, it successfully reduced the size of the file from 721 KB to 72 KB. However, it corrupted the file in the process. In my testing with my 2,614 KB file, it didn’t corrupt it, but it only reduced it to 2,594KB—a total of only 20 KB. We’re unsure what’s at play here, so if you want to give this a go, be sure to have a backup copy of your file before doing so.

That’s all the tips we've got for reducing the size of your PowerPoint presentation. We’re always looking for new and interesting ways to reduce the size of our files, so if you have any tips, let us know in the comment section, and we’ll be happy to test them out!

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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 977,591 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

Step 1 Double-click an image.

  • 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.

Step 2 Click Compress Pictures.

Compressing Images on Mac

Step 1 Click File.

Removing Edit Data on Windows

Step 1 Click the File tab.

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

powerpoint presentation smaller file

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

You Might Also Like

Download PowerPoint

  • ↑ 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

Jack Lloyd

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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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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More resources

How to Change Slide Size in PowerPoint

How to Get Slide Design Ideas Using PowerPoint Designer

How to Morph in PowerPoint to Design Engaging Presentations

How to Break, Update or Change Links to Excel Charts or Worksheets in PowerPoint

Where to Find Free Images for Your PowerPoint Presentations (10 Great Stock Photo Sites)

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10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size

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Compress PPT Presentations Online

Compress PPT Online Smallpdf Banner

May 8, 2023 by Hung Nguyen

Learn how to reduce the size of your PPT files significantly, at no cost, using Smallpdf. No watermark, no registration, and no installation.

We’ve come across many large PPT files in our years of compressing digital documents, from sales pitches to lecture material and business proposals. Usually, the need to reduce the size of these files comes from having to share them via email, where the file size cap is around 20 MB. Compressing PowerPoint files also comes in handy to save storage space, be it on your local computer or an otherwise pricey cloud service such as Dropbox. You can use our online compress tool to shrink your PPT down significantly and thus make your life easier and save some money.

How to Compress a PPT File for Free

Upload your ppt to the compress tool ., choose “basic compression.”, click on “export as” and choose powerpoint..

Compress PPT Presentations Online

Convert, compress, and download your PPT using Smallpdf

You can get started with compressing your PowerPoint presentation for free right away. You don’t need a Smallpdf account—just go to the tool and drop your file in!

Will the Document’s Formatting Remain the Same?

We aim to maintain the layout and quality of your document as close to the original PPT as possible. We actually first turn your PowerPoint into a PDF document; then, our compressor looks for repeating patterns in the data and replaces them with unique identifiers. This is actually what makes your file smaller. This process doesn’t touch attributes like fonts and the layout of your PPT, so they should stay just as they are.

Smallpdf caters to millions of users every month and uses the most reliable software on the internet to convert, edit, and compress files. So, you can trust that we’ll produce only the absolute best conversion quality.

There are extra measures that you can take to be absolutely sure that the final content resembles its original form. You can “embed” the fonts of the text in your PowerPoint presentation. You’ll find this option under “Preferences” in PowerPoint. Doing this will ensure that the fonts remain the same, even when we don’t have the same ones on our servers.

You can repeat the above process for each file if you need to compress multiple PowerPoint files or want to compress images and other formats. Smallpdf accepts all Microsoft Office files and JPG images. If you go Pro, you can also compress files in batches, and we’ll conveniently store them in a zip file for you. Why not sign up for a 7-day free Pro trial before fully committing?

And that’s all there is to it! Enjoy compressing your PPT and be sure to explore the many other tools we offer.

Hurray for smaller presentations!

Hung Nguyen

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How to Compress a PowerPoint Presentation

Carla Albinagorta

PowerPoint is an amazing audiovisual tool for presentations. It allows you to add images, graphs, videos, and pretty much everything you might need in order to craft the perfect complement. But precisely because of this, sometimes PowerPoint documents can end up taking a lot of space. So, how do you share your presentation when it’s just too big? Here you’ll learn how to easily compress a PowerPoint presentation to share it with whomever you want.

how to compress a PowerPoint presentation

How to compress a PowerPoint presentation directly

Thankfully, PowerPoint has some compress options built into it, so learning how to compress a PowerPoint presentation is a very straightforward business. You have 2 main options.

1- How to compress images in a PowerPoint presentation

a. Select the image you want to compress. Once you do this, the Picture Format tab will appear at the end of your tools ribbon.

compress a PowerPoint presentation images

b. Select Compress Pictures

how to compress a PowerPoint

c. A new window will pop up. Now you just need to choose how much you want to compress your PowerPoint images accordingly to your needs:

compress PowerPoint pictures

Take into consideration that if you untick the Apply only for this picture option, all of the PowerPoint presentations images will be compressed. If you’re looking for how to compress a presentation will a lot of images, then this one is a great option for you.

2- How to compress a PowerPoint with a video

If your presentation has a video in it, chances are it’s a pretty big file! 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.

how to compress PowerPoint video

c. A new window will pop up to show you the compressing progress. Once it’s completed, it will also tell you how much space are you saving by compressing your PowerPoint media. Just click Close when the process is completed, and you can go back to work on your presentation.

compress a PowerPoint video

Other options for sharing your presentations

However, if you compress a PowerPoint presentation you’ll probably lose some quality. The more you compress an image, the more quality it will lose. This is especially important to take into consideration if you’re planning to use a big projector, as it will make bad quality images pretty noticeable.

If compressing your PowerPoint presentation it’s just not doing it for you, of you don’t want to sacrifice some of its quality, here are some alternative options for sharing your files:

1- ZIP Files

A pretty straightforward way on how to compress a PowerPoint presentation is simply to use a ZIP File. ZIP files allow you to compress many documents into one directory. Windows 10 has built-in an option for file compressing. You just need to go to your File Explorer and right-click the PowerPoint presentation to compress. Select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder . And that’s all!

If you’re not working with Windows 10, you can download a file archiver and compressor software, like WinZip or WinRAR (for earlier Windows versions). These will allow you to easily compress PowerPoint presentations, and pretty much everything else. There are many free compressors available, so it’s just a matter of finding the one that suits you the best.

Take into consideration that, when sending a compressed PowerPoint presentation in this way, the receiver must also have a compressor software, like the ones mentioned above. This will allow them to decompress the document and get access to it. It’s also important to know that ZIP Files might not compress a PowerPoint presentation enough for it to be sent by e-mail. It depends mainly on the size of the original file. Thankfully, there are other options for sharing your presentations!

sharing your PowerPoint presentation

2- Cloud Sharing

Cloud sharing is an excellent way to share files that are otherwise too big to send by e-mail. You don’t even need to know how to compress a PowerPoint to use this method. You just need to register in a cloud storage service, like Google Drive or Dropbox , and upload your presentation. Once it’s uploaded, you can send the link to whoever you want, and they will instantly gain access to it.

If it’s a particularly big document, you can even mix this option with the previous one. You can compress your PowerPoint presentation in a ZIP file, and upload the compressed version. This will make it easier and quicker for you to upload it, and for your receivers to download it.

3- PDF format

Converting your presentation to a PDF document is one of the easiest ways to compress your PowerPoint presentation in order to share it. It will immediately lower your file size and allow you to share it through all kinds of means, including e-mails.

However, one very important thing to take into account when using this method to compress a PowerPoint presentation is that you’re changing the file’s format. And this had both its ups and downs. For starters, this means that whoever receives it will not be able to access it as a PowerPoint presentation. Your slides will be converted to PDF pages, and while images and graphs will likely remain, any videos or voice notes in your presentation will not be added in the converted document.

But this also has an ad additional advantage. This means the receiver will not be able to edit it. If you’re sending a PowerPoint presentation and you don’t want it altered or copied in any way, sending it as a PDF file is a good option. It all depends on what you’re looking for!

share your PowerPoint presentation

Hopefully, you have now learned how to compress your PowerPoint presentations. Now you can share them with whomever you like, whether it is team members, coworkers, or your audience. Good luck!

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How to compress a PowerPoint file so that it loads faster and doesn't take up as much space

  • You can easily compress a PowerPoint file's size, which makes it easier to share and save.
  • When you compress your PowerPoint, you'll have to reduce the quality of any music, videos, or pictures you have in your slideshow.
  • Once you've compressed your PowerPoint, it will load faster, but the media in it may not look as good.
  • Visit Business Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories .

At some point in your slideshow-creating life, you've probably saved a PowerPoint presentation and realized that the file size is entirely too large. 

Larger file sizes make PowerPoints more difficult to send and save, and they also make each slide take longer to load.

One of the easiest ways to quickly reduce a PowerPoint presentation's file size is to compress it. When you compress a PowerPoint, you'll reduce the quality and size of every media file in the presentation. This includes videos, audio clips, animations, and photos.

If you compress them down to an appropriate size, your file size will be much smaller. However, your photos, videos, and other media probably won't look or sound as sharp.

Here's how to compress your media files in PowerPoint on a Mac or PC.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Apple macbook pro (from $1,299.00 at apple), acer chromebook 15 (from $179.99 at walmart), how to compress a powerpoint file on a pc.

1. In the ribbon or menu bar at the top of the screen, click "File." Make sure that "Info" is selected in the left sidebar.

2. Click "Compress Media." Depending on whether your version of PowerPoint was made before or after 2016, this button will either be next to the label "Multimedia" or "Media Size and Performance."

3. Choose one of the three options for media quality from the dropdown menu. These will differ based on which version you have as well, but they boil down to: 

  • Select the highest quality option if you want to maintain high quality media for in-person presentations. 
  • Select the middle option for quality akin to media found on the internet. 
  • Select the lowest quality option if your file needs to be as compressed as much as possible — for example, if you need to send it via email.

How to compress a PowerPoint file on a Mac

In the Mac version of PowerPoint, you can only reduce the file size of images, not videos or music.

To do this:

1. Open your PowerPoint slideshow and click "File" in the menu bar at the top of the screen. If you only want to compress specific images, select them before clicking "File."

2. In the dropdown menu, click "Compress Pictures..."

3. You'll be shown a "Compression Table," which lists all the different ways you can compress the file. You'll have three main options:

  • "Printing" will keep your pictures at the highest quality possible.
  • "Viewing on screen" will reduce the quality of your pictures by about 30 percent.
  • "Sending in an e-mail message" will compress them by another 30 percent or so.

You can also pick the fourth and last option, which will keep each picture's current resolution, but try to reduce the file size in other areas.

4. Select whether you'd like to delete parts of your pictures that have been cropped out — doing so will help reduce the file size.

5. Choose whether you'd like to compress every picture in the slideshow, or just the ones that you selected beforehand. Once you've decided, click "OK."

powerpoint presentation smaller file

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  • Main content

How to Reduce Your PowerPoint (PPT) File Size Way Down (+ Video)

Are you wondering, "Why is my PowerPoint file so large?"

powerpoint presentation smaller file

PowerPoint presentations can easily increase in size over time. As you’re adding more video, images, audio, and slides, the file size will increase as well.

This might make it challenging for the recipient to open or work with. Luckily, there are some good techniques to help you reduce the size of your PPT files. I’ll walk you through several tips and tricks to reduce your PowerPoint file size.

Quick Ways to Reduce Your PowerPoint File Size ( Watch & Learn)

In this quick video, I’ll teach you my techniques to reduce PowerPoint file sizes. I’ll walk you through several ways to help compress your PowerPoint presentations.

These tips will help you trim a file before you share it with others. If you’re asking, “Why is my PPT file so large?” this video is for you. Watch to learn all about reducing the size of a PowerPoint file!

Miss any of the tips in the video, or prefer a written version of these steps? Check out the instructions below to find out more about how to reduce your PowerPoint file size.

Need More Help? Download Our eBook on Making Great Presentations (Free)

powerpoint presentation smaller file

We also have a helpful complement to this tutorial. Quickly grab it before you read on. Download our FREE eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . In it you’ll learn how to you write, design, and deliver the perfect presentation.

How to Reduce Your PowerPoint File Size

Wondering “Why is my PPT file so large?” The answers lie below.

Often, I find myself hitting my email attachment limit when sending slides to others. Of course, I could put it in a Dropbox share or upload it online. But the real problem is that the presentation should be downsized first. When you reduce file size in PPT, your presentations will be more shareable.

In our tutorial, we’ll work with the Agio PowerPoint Presentation from Envato Elements. It’s a premium template with some great features and expertly crafted styles. Download it today to follow along with our tutorial.

premium ppt template

Now, let’s learn how to reduce your PowerPoint file size. We’ll learn all about compression and other ways to shrink your PowerPoint PPT file size down. These are quick and easy tips and tricks for PowerPoint reducing file size.

Note: This tutorial was created using Windows and Office 365. If you’re using a different operating system or a different version of Windows, your steps may be slightly different.

1. Compress Selected Pictures in PPT File

Images are easily one of the largest parts of most PowerPoint presentations. Compressing them can decrease the size of your PowerPoint file.

Often, I find myself using many images in my presentations. This is a great design technique – after all, photos make any slide much more interesting!

But as I do this, I’m often using large image files, without thinking of how the file size affects my PowerPoint file. That can make for a quick and fluid design process. But it can leave you with some cleanup needed.

compress pictures

To get started with image compression, select an image in your PowerPoint PPT file. On the ribbon, you’ll see a Picture Format tab. Click on this tab, and then find the Compress Pictures option.

Click on Compress Pictures in PowerPoint, and the Compress Pictures menu will launch.

compression options

On this menu, there are two key settings to check:

  • Ensure that Delete Cropped Areas of Pictures is checked. This removes any pixels that we’ve already cropped out of an image. Keep in mind that this prevents you from re-cropping the picture to include those pixels later.
  • Set a Resolution on the lower end of the options, such as 96 ppi. This reduces the fidelity of images and thus decreases the PowerPoint PPT file’s size.

If you’ve got several large images that you want to compress, use this feature as a starting point. It’s a great way of reducing the PowerPoint file size quickly.

2. Compress All Pictures in Your PowerPoint

Let’s learn how to batch compress every image in a presentation. This is a streamlined way to reduce the file size in PowerPoint. You can apply the same reduced-size settings to every image in the deck, all at once.

Once again, we’ll be working on the Compress Pictures menu. With an image selected, go to Picture Format > Compress Pictures.

Compress Pictures menu

With the menu opened, ensure that the Apply Only to This Picture box is unchecked. Select your other settings, then click OK .

Caution: Be careful when using this feature! It’ll certainly reduce the size of the images in your PowerPoint PPT file. Make sure that you aren’t permanently removing any cropped areas of images that you’ll want to reuse.

3. Save Your PowerPoint in a .zip File

Once you’ve saved your PowerPoint slides, it helps to compress them into .zip files. This is a great way of reducing the size of PowerPoint files. Plus, it’s very easy. Compressing into .zip format is a built-in feature on both Windows and Mac. It’s a powerful way to reduce the PPT size quickly.

Navigate to where you have your PPT slides stored. Then, right-click on the name of your file. On the list of options, choose Compress to ZIP File. You’ll see a new .zip file created, right below your existing slide deck.

zip file in folder

That’s it! You’ve learned how to make PowerPoint files smaller by compressing them. When you reduce the file size in PowerPoint like this, you have a slide deck that’s much easier to share.

4. Link to Videos in Your Presentation

Videos are a compelling way to share content in PowerPoint. But if you’re trying to reduce the file size in PowerPoint, they can become a real challenge! Fortunately, you have options to share videos, even as you reduce PowerPoint file size.

One option is to link to multimedia objects, instead of embedding them in the file. This way, you can include videos while still working to reduce the file size.

In PowerPoint, there are two ways to include video files in your presentation:

  • Insert the video directly into the PowerPoint file itself.
  • Link to the video file.

Both of these options will place a video on the PowerPoint canvas, but in very different ways. Inserting the video will include it as a part of the PowerPoint file, so you can send it to anyone and the video will play.

But if you’re in PowerPoint reducing file size, this isn’t the best option. Video files are often very large. Linking to videos is a better way of reducing the size of a PowerPoint file.

To get started, find the Insert tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon. In the Media group on the right, click on the Video dropdown arrow. From the list of options, choose This Device.

The Insert Video file browser will launch. Here, navigate to a video file that you have stored on your computer. Then, click on it to select it.

Next, find the Insert dropdown in the Tools section. This is in the lower right corner of the Insert Video browser. On the dropdown, click Link to File.

link to file

Linking to the video references the original file and simply links to it. You’re creating a reference to the video file instead of adding it to your presentation file.

linked ppt file

Tip : There’s a key downside to this PowerPoint reduce file size technique. If you link to your video and send the presentation to others, the video won’t play correctly. PowerPoint looks for the video on the local device instead of inside the PowerPoint file.

Ideally, your video is hosted somewhere online, like YouTube. So, you neither have to embed the video in your PowerPoint file, or link to it on your computer.

5. Use the Insert Tab to Add Photos

Photos are the best way to bring your PowerPoint slides to life. But if you need to reduce the PPT file size, sometimes they can cause you trouble.

But that doesn’t mean you should leave photos out of your slide decks. You can use a different technique to add them to your slides and enjoy smaller file sizes.

When you use a PPT template, you may find that you can drag and drop images right onto your slides. This is the easiest – and fastest – way to add photos to your slides. But it also has a cost in file size.

Images that you drag and drop onto slides aren’t compressed at all. For one or two images, this doesn’t matter. But if you’ve got a fully illustrated deck, your file size can quickly get out of control.

use the insert tab

To help with this, try using PowerPoint’s Insert tab to add photos.

Working on a slide, go to Insert up on the ribbon. Then, choose Pictures > This Device . Browse to a photo that you’ve saved. Click Insert to add it to your slide.

This way, PowerPoint compresses and reduces the size of any photos that you add to your slide deck.

6. Share PPT Slides in PDF Format

Let’s face it. PowerPoint slides are built for sharing. That means that you need to know how to reduce PowerPoint file size at every opportunity.

At the same time, you need those who you share slides with to be able to read and view them on any device. Fortunately, these two goals can be easily accomplished at the same time.

By saving a PPT deck as a PDF file, you can see how to compress PowerPoint file size fast. Plus, PDF files can be read on almost any device. They also take up less file space than a .ppt or .pptx file. They display your slides without the format settings that PowerPoint adds.

pdf

When you click Save As to save your slide deck, choose PDF from the Save As Type dropdown. In moments, your slide deck will be in a versatile, minimally sized format that you can share far and wide.

7. Reduce Embedded Characters

When you think about how to compress PowerPoint file size, fonts are a big part of it. You may use custom fonts in your work, and you need to be sure that other users can see them. That’s true even if they don’t have the fonts installed on their computer.

Fortunately, there’s an easy fix. This helps you reduce the PPT file size quickly. Working in PowerPoint, go to the File > Options menu. You’ll see a list of option tabs on the left. From this, click on Save .

ppt save options

Check the box next to Embed Fonts in the File. Then, check Embed Only the Characters Used in the Presentation. If PPT embeds fonts, they’re always visible. But using this feature can make your PowerPoint files larger.

Now, by default, when you save PPT decks with custom fonts, they won’t take up much extra file space. This is how to reduce PowerPoint file size quickly.

8. Use Charts and Embedded Objects as Images

PowerPoint offers a variety of ways to pull in extra data on your spreadsheets. These can include Excel charts, graphs, and much more. But by linking data in this way, you may find yourself working with very large files.

graph converted to image

Remember, illustrations like this display data. Their ability to update from the source is useful, but it increases PowerPoint file size. Instead of adding live-updating charts, try adding screenshots or image versions instead. By changing charts and objects to images, you can save file space immediately.

Once you’ve got the images saved, add them to your slides with the Insert menu. This saves space over dragging and dropping.

Best PowerPoint (PPT) Presentation Designs on Envato Elements (Unlimited Downloads)

Envato Elements has thousands of the very best PowerPoint presentation designs for you. It’s a compelling offer. Unlock unlimited downloads with a flat-rate monthly membership.

ppt presentation templates

Reduce PowerPoint file size in style with these powerful premium templates from Envato Elements.

Think that trying to reduce PowerPoint file size means cutting your style? Think again. Thanks to versatile Envato Elements templates, you capture the best of both worlds. Reduce the PPT file size while you build stunning stylish slides for every occasion.

Elements offers stylish PowerPoint templates featuring:

  • infographics

Simply drop in your content, and you’re on the way to the most impact at minimal size. Join Elements now .

5 Top Templates to Reduce PPT File Size (From Envato Elements – For 2023)

These stunning templates from Envato Elements make it easy to reduce PowerPoint file size:

1. Librario | PowerPoint Template

librario

Never give up on style when you try to reduce PPT size. Librario is a spectacular PowerPoint template for any project. Inside, you’ll find over 150 slides in every layout imaginable. These are spread over five beautiful color themes. Master slide layouts make bulk edits simple. Plus, that helps reduce the file size.

2. SENSASIONAL PPT

sensasional

When you think about how to reduce PowerPoint file size, consider what you’re trying to do. Likely, you want to share your slides with an audience virtually. That means giving them slide layouts they’ll be thrilled with. SENSASIONAL delivers, with 30 dark and stylish slides inside. Every element is fully customizable, with drag-and-drop graphics.

3. Visualizm – Pop Art & Graffiti PowerPoint Template

visualizm

Thanks to Elements, you can add images and still reduce PowerPoint file size! Visualizm is a sleek, modern template to help you do exactly that. With cool, grungy vibes, it’s easy to adapt to your next project. Custom placeholders let you add content with just a few clicks. There are even vector icons included for quick style changes.

4. Station PowerPoint Presentation

station

Station is another premium PPT template to reduce size and boost design. It’s illustrated in memorable shades of pink and purple. They’re sure to grab audience attention. Each slide is completely customizable, with some featuring world maps and unique icons. A handy reference guide is included if you need help getting started.

5. Defender – PowerPoint Template

defender

Imagine how to compress PowerPoint file size while still sharing plenty of content. One way is to embrace minimalism. Trendy and modern, this design focuses on sharp contrasts and open spaces. Defender is a prime example, featuring 30 handcrafted slides. Master slides and image placeholders make it easy for you to build amazing slide decks.

More Top PowerPoint Templates

At Envato Tuts+, we’re passionate about PowerPoint templates. They help our readers save time and give great presentations without learning how to do everything on their own.

We keep the best PowerPoint templates listed in our guide, Microsoft PowerPoint Templates (Ultimate Guide to the Best PPT.)

Common PowerPoint Questions Answered (FAQ)

In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to reduce PowerPoint file size. This is an important skill to save disk space and make it easier to share with your collaborators. Reduce PowerPoint file size to be a considerate presenter and content creator.

It’s okay if you still have questions. Let’s tackle five of the most popular PowerPoint questions:

1. What Are PowerPoint Layouts?

One way to reduce the PPT file size is to reuse similar designs with only minor modifications. PowerPoint layouts give you pre-built sets of slide designs that save you time.

2. What Dimensions Should You Use For PowerPoint?

Dimensions describe the shape and size of your PowerPoint template. Your settings matter because they’ll help you cover the screen completely. Choosing lower dimensions can also help you reduce the PPT file size.

3. How Do I Work With Images in Microsoft PowerPoint?

Images are one type of content that can really increase your PowerPoint file size. It’s important to work with them carefully so that your PowerPoint doesn’t explode in file size.

Pairing this tutorial with what you’ve already learned helps you master how to reduce PowerPoint file size. You’ll see options that show you how to compress PowerPoint file size by modifying images.

4. How Should You Show Data in PowerPoint?

Never create a slide that’s chock full of data and statistics in pure text format. Instead, lean on graphs and charts to display the data in an intuitive way. PowerPoint makes this easy, and we’ll show you how.

By the way, mastering charts and graphs can also help you reduce the PPT file size. When you use well-crafted visuals instead of embedding data, your file size will really benefit.

5. Can You Export?

Have you had issues reducing PPT file size to the point you can email it? Here’s an idea: export it as a video, then upload it to a service like YouTube .

Learning how to reduce PowerPoint file size is sometimes a matter of working around the app. You can export your PowerPoint presentation as a video , then use an online platform to overcome large files.

Learn More About How to Use Microsoft PowerPoint

Pro presenters know that the work of learning is never done. PowerPoint has so many features that it’s impossible to know them all. Now, you’ll be reducing the size of PowerPoint files even as you craft amazing designs!

You know how to reduce PowerPoint file size to accommodate more options. Keep learning by checking out our resource, How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide.)

Make Great Presentations (Free PDF eBook Download)

We’ve got a helpful compliment to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully.

Download our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It’s available for free with a subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter.

free ebook

Reducing the Size of a PowerPoint File (In 2023)

In this tutorial, I showed you some quick steps to reduce the size of your PowerPoint files. Following these simple tips will optimize your presentations and reduce their file size.

What are you waiting for? Embrace these techniques for PowerPoint reducing file size today! In moments, you’ll have shareable slide decks that are easy to send across the world. Audiences will thank you for freeing up space on their devices. And you’ll work in more agile and creative ways as you optimize your designs.

Get started on your journey towards reducing the size of PowerPoint files. Now that you’ve learned how to make PowerPoint files smaller, it’s time to get to work. So join Envato Elements today and find your favorite PPT templates!

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Blog > Compress PowerPoint to reduce the file size

Compress PowerPoint to reduce the file size

02.12.20   •  #powerpointtips.

Sometimes, the file size of your PowerPoint presentation can get very big. In some cases, that can be annoying, e.g. when trying to send the slides via email, but not being able to do so because the file is too large. Usually, pictures and videos are the reason why presentations become too big. The good news are that you can easily compress pictures and embedded media files by following the steps listed below.

Compress images

Compress videos and audios.

  • Convert PPT into a PDF file
  • Get rid of 3D-models

Compress PPT as ZIP- file

PowerPoint offers the option to compress all images at once or choose single pictures to reduce their file size. Keep in mind, that compressing an image will automatically reduce its quality as well. If you don't need to reduce the file size, better use the highest quality resolution as possible.

There are two ways to compress images within your PPT file which nearly work the same way:

Compress selected pictures

  • Select the image you want to compress or any picture if you wish to reduce the size of all graphics
  • Navigate to the Picture Tools Format tab and select Compress Pictures

PowerPoint Picture compressing

  • A new menu pops up. Choose your compression options and make sure to check "Delete cropped areas of pictures" and uncheck "Apply only to this picture" (if you want to compress all images)
  • High fidelity: preserves quality of the original picture
  • HD (330 ppi): good quality for high-definition (HD) displays
  • Print (220 ppi): excellent quality on 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

Compress all images while saving the PPT file

  • Open your presentation. Go to File in the PowerPoint menu
  • Click Save as and then Browse
  • In the window that opens, click on Tools (right beside Save )
  • Select Compress Pictures and choose the resolution you need To save even more space, you can additionally choose Delete cropped areas of pictures to remove the parts of pictures which you cropped in PowerPoint.
  • Click OK and then Save

how to save and compress pictures

Video and audio files can increase your PPT size a lot. It's a good idea to compress those if you want to make some space. Some PowerPoint versions make it possible to decrease the media size in PPT but if this option is missing in your program, online video compressors are the solution.

Compress videos and audios in PPT

  • Go to File in the PowerPoint menu
  • Open the Compress media drop down
  • Choose a compression file size. Don't reduce the quality too much and check if the appearance of your media doesn't look too grainy on the actual projector you will be presenting on

PowerPoint Picture video compressing

Online video compressor

There are plenty of online video compressors which you can use to reduce the video size in advance. For example, the website FreeConvert makes it easy to decrease the file size without having to download anything. This way you can integrate a smaller media file into PPT.

PowerPoint media online compressor

Links instead of videos

Instead of importing a video to your PPT slides, including a link to your PowerPoint presentation can save a lot of space. If your video is somewhere on YouTube or other online video-sharing platforms, include a link and use it when you're presenting. But notice: a link can only be used, if you're connected with wifi. Watching videos online, can take time and a bad connection might give you some unwanted breaks during your presentation. In this case, saving the video on your disk and opening it separately can save time and still reduce the size of the PPT.

link instead of video in ppt

Convert PPT to PDF

By converting a PowerPoint file into a PDF, the size will reduce automatically. During the process, images get compressed and some media (audio, videos, 3D models..) get removed. If you want to change the PowerPoint slides at all time, this method might not be the right one for you, as PDF files can't get edited the way a PowerPoint can. Hence, converting PPT into PDF only makes sense if your presentation will work as a handout and if the PDF files options are enough for you.

  • Click Export
  • Hit the Create PDF/XPS button
  • Choose a location in which you want to save your PDF file
  • Click Publish

Convert PPT into PDF

Get rid of 3D models

The Office 365 subscription makes it possible to add 3D models to your PowerPoint slides. Nevertheless, those media require much space since they transport a lot of information. In order to minimize the PPT file, exchanging the 3D model with a normal image will easily reduce the size of your PowerPoint file.

add 3d model to PowerPoint

If you need to share your PPT with someone, a ZIP- file format might help you to reduce the size of the PowerPoint. Even though, this method can save some place temporally, it might not be enough to send it via email. Uploading it to file-sharing platforms, such as GoogleDrive, DropBox, OneDrive or other websites and sharing its link to download the PPT, can be the better option. (Using an USB for sharing the presentation without the need to decompress anything would be the best solution)

powerpoint presentation smaller file

Here's how to convert a PPT into a ZIP- file format:

  • Select the file you want to minimize in the File Explorer
  • Right-Click the file and hit Send to
  • Choose the Compressed (zipped) folder option

compress PPT into ZIP

If you want to decompress a ZIP- file into its original PowerPoint format:

  • Right-Click on your ZIP- folder
  • Select Extract All... or the similar operation of your program
  • Choose a File Location to extract your file to, or extract it at the place you are currently at

decompress ZIP into PPT

How can I reduce the size of a PowerPoint file?

There are several ways to reduce the file size of a PowerPoint. You can compress images, videos and audios, convert your presentation into a PDF file, get rid of 3D models or compress the PowerPoint as a ZIP-file. We explained for you how all of this works in our blog.

How do I compress a video in PowerPoint?

To compress videos in PowerPoint, go to "File" in the PowerPoint menu and then click on "Info". Then open the drop-down menu "Compress media" and select the size of the compression file. Be careful not to reduce the quality too much and check that the quality of your video on the projector you will be presenting on is not too bad.

Related articles

About the author.

powerpoint presentation smaller file

Pia Lehner-Mittermaier

Pia works in Marketing as a graphic designer and writer at SlideLizard. She uses her vivid imagination and creativity to produce good content.

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The big SlideLizard presentation glossary

Face-to-face.

If you are talking to someone face-to-face you are directly facing each other.

Animated GIF

An animated GIF enables images to be played in a specific order. It is created when several individual images are saved in a GIF file.

Vertical Communication

Vertical communication means that information is passed from one person to the next according to a linear system based on their titles. This type of communication is used when a company follows a hierarchical structure or for important, sensitive information.

Manuscript Speech

For a manuscript speech, the speaker has an entire manuscript to read from. The benefit is that, as every single word is scripted, no important parts will be missed. However, speeches that are fully written down often seem unnatural and may bore the audience.

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PowerPoint Compressor

Use our free PowerPoint compressor tool to reduce the size of PPT files, so you can send them as emails and speed up your computer.

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PowerPoint compressor features

How can i reduce the file size of a powerpoint file.

If you need to compress a PowerPoint presentation , you should always start with the native compression features in PowerPoint.

They can help you cropped areas of pictures and reduce the resolution of photos without affecting presentability.

If you need to further reduce the size of your PowerPoint, you can try things like compressing the file in a .zip folder, compressing the file as a PDF, or using an online PowerPoint compressor.

Why is my PowerPoint file so large?

The primary reason that PowerPoint files become very large is because of media - images, video, and audio.

You can have dozens or hundreds of text slides, and still maintain a small file size, but just one or two large images can drastically increase the file size of your PPT file.

If you would like to nerd out and see what is driving the size of your PowerPoint file, you can convert it to a .zip folder by renaming the file extension from .pptx to .zip, and then open up the .zip to see the sizes of the individual items within the file.

How do I send a large PowerPoint file?

To send a PowerPoint as an email attachment, you should try to keep it (or compress it to) under 20MB. The limit can be higher for certain email providers, but this will help to maximize your deliverability.

If you file is larger than 20-25MB, you should use a cloud file-sharing platform like OneDrive or Google Drive and send your recipient a link to download the presentation, rather than using an attachment.

Why is my PowerPoint so slow?

When PowerPoint files become very large, they can noticeably slow down your PowerPoint app and make it difficult to work.

In these cases, you may want to reduce the file size of your presentation to ensure you can work efficiently, and the app does not crash.

How do I create a PowerPoint with AI?

Creating a PowerPoint with AI is easy! You can use tools like Plus AI and Copilot to create a presentation from a prompt or an existing source document like a PDF or a Word doc.

Check out our list of the Best AI Presentation Makers to see what's out there, and the latest capabilities of these types of tools.

Will zipping a .PPTX file reduce its file size?

Interestingly, a .pptx file is actually already a zip folder with the contents of a presentation. If you change the file name of your .pptx file to .zip, you can open it like a normal .zip folder and view the contents of your presentation.

Nevertheless, it seems like "rezipping" the already compressed files can reduce the size of your .pptx document.

How to I reduce the file size of a PPT as a PDF?

Sometimes you can reduce the file size of a PowerPoint presentation by exporting it as a PDF document.

When going through this process, you can change the desired quality of the PDF document, and selecting a lower quality will reduce the size of the PPT file.

You may also notice differences between the size of the PDF file from a PPT export when using Windows or Mac because they use different PDF utilities, so that is another way to experiment with reducing the file size of your PDF.

Can I reduce the file size of a PDF file?

PDF files can sometimes be larger than the original document, and if you are trying to send a presentation as a PDF attachment in an email, that might be a problem.

To reduce the size of your PDF, try opening the PDF in Adobe Acrobat and using the "Reduce file size" feature.

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powerpoint presentation smaller file

How to Reduce the File Size of Your PowerPoint Presentation

Learn how to reduce the file size of a PowerPoint presentation without making any major difference to the person viewing it.

A PowerPoint Presentation is a great way to get an idea across. Whether you're pitching a product or teaching kids, you'll find slideshows helpful.

However, if your presentation is long, or you have many visuals, you might find that your PowerPoint file has become too large. That makes it difficult to attach it as an attachment. And it could even take too long to download for your clients.

To solve this problem, here are seven tips to reduce your presentation file size.

1. Use Insert Picture—Don't Drag and Drop

insert picture from this device PowerPoint 365

When you want to add a photograph from your hard drive to your presentation, the easiest and most common way is to copy it off File Explorer and paste it onto PowerPoint. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop it from your folder to your slideshow.

However, doing this potentially increases your presentation's file size. That's because when you copy-paste or drag-and-drop a file directly into PowerPoint, it converts your image to either a BMP or PNG file type.

Although these file types allow you to retain transparent backgrounds, like the ones you find in icons, they also increase your photo's file size. But if you use the Insert Picture function, PowerPoint will add your image without changing its file type, thus avoiding larger file sizes.

2. Crop Photos With an Image Editor

cropping a photo in Canva

There are times when you don't have to use the entire image you just added. You may want to remove a section to make it more impactful. But if you do that, don't crop it using PowerPoint's built-in cropping tool.

When you crop an image inside PowerPoint, the app will simply hide the part of the image you cut out. Although this is helpful if you want to undo the crop you made in the future, if you're final with the cut you made, this just adds to your presentation's file size.

Instead of cropping images in PowerPoint, you can use dedicated image editors. You can use Microsoft's built-in Paint app for simple crops, or you can use free online tools, like Canva. Once you've cropped your photo to your liking, you can then use the Insert Picture tool to add it to your presentation.

Related: How to Use the Canva App: A Beginner's Guide

Remember to save your file as JPG or JPEG, not PNG or BMP. JPG files provide the most compression on your images while retaining reasonable quality. This way, you get to save a few more kilobytes per photo. This adds up to a lot of space when you have many pictures.

3. Edit Images Outside PowerPoint

editing a photo using Windows built-in editor

Building upon the previous point, you should edit your photos using an image editor instead of PowerPoint. While the app does provide relatively advanced photo editing tools, it's still not as powerful as dedicated photo editing software.

You can use Microsoft's built-in basic photo editing function to edit your image. Alternatively, there are several easy-to-use photo editing software to give you advanced edits while remaining simple to use.

You should do this because PowerPoint retains all your photo's information. For example, if you convert an image from colored to black and white, the app will still keep all the color information of your file, thus making it larger. But if you convert it using an image editor, all color information is lost once you save the file, thus making it smaller.

4. Compress Your Pictures

compressing images in Microsoft PowerPoint

Even if you've done all the above, there is still a way to reduce your presentation's file size further. You can do that by optimizing all your slideshow images for the screen size you expect to show your presentation.

This is because PowerPoint tends to keep your images at the maximum allowable quality. After all, the app is preparing your slideshow for all types of display sizes. It's even considering that you're going to print it. That's why it keeps your photos at the best possible quality.

And while this is a good thing, it does add a lot of size to your presentation. That's why you need to optimize your file for your intended audience.

To do that, click on any image in your slideshow. Then, in the menu ribbon, select Picture Format . Press the Compress Pictures button, and a Compress Pictures window will pop up. Under Compression options: remove the tick mark for Apply only to this picture to compress all images.

Under Resolution: , pick the appropriate points per inch (PPI) for your application. If your presentation is for personal consumption—i.e., for viewing on smartphones, tablets, and computer monitors only—then a 96 PPI resolution is enough.

But if you plan to display it on a medium-sized projector or a screen larger than 50 inches, then you should choose 150 PPI. If you're planning to print your presentation as a handout, then go for 220 PPI. Finally, if you're going to use a large-format projector or LED screen board, go for 330 PPI.

5. Link Videos

linking videos in powerpoint presentations

Videos are the most significant items in your presentation that will bloat its file size. A typical 1-minute full HD video has an approximate 124MB file size. So instead of embedding your videos into your PowerPoint file, you can link them instead.

Upload your videos on a video hosting website like YouTube, then just link it into your slideshow. Once you've uploaded the video, don't forget to copy its web address to add it to your presentation.

To add it to your slideshow, go to Insert on the menu ribbon, click on Video , and in the dropdown menu, choose Online Videos… . A new window will pop up and in the Enter the address for the online video bar, paste your video link.

Once your selected video has loaded, you'll see a preview of it on the main screen. If you're satisfied that it's the correct video, click on Insert . You will now find your video embedded into your slideshow.

You have to note, though, that your viewer or audience must have an active internet connection for them to see your embedded video. Otherwise, they won't be able to see it.

6. Use the Latest Formats

powerpoint file types when saving

If you're using the latest version of Microsoft Office, it's best to use the latest file formats. The old file format called PPT, designed for Microsoft Office 2003 and older, uses up more space than the newer PPTX file format.

While older versions of PowerPoint may not be able to open your file, the smaller file size means your presentation would fit in your email as an attachment. Furthermore, those who don't have the latest version of PowerPoint can instead use Microsoft Office Online, or even Google Slides, to view your presentation.

WinRAR screenshot

As a last resort, you can compress your presentation's file to reduce its size. You can use several free tools to do just that . They're also widely popular, so your recipient won't have much trouble decompressing your file.

Save on Space

If your PowerPoint presentation is too large to attach to your email, you can reduce its size by following the above steps. They're simple, quick, and easy to do. And if in case you find your presentation's file size bigger than your allocated limits, you still have a couple more solutions.

The first one is to upload it onto the cloud and just share the file's link with your recipient. The second is to cut your presentation into two and then send them in two separate emails. Be sure to add a slide to your first file indicating there's a part two!

But no matter what you choose, reducing your file's size should be the last thing on your mind. Focus on your content and make it your best presentation ever first. All the other things you need to do will soon fall into place once you've finalized your output.

Compress PPT

Compress your file here.

Or drop files here

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Why compress ppt files.

PPT also goes by the name of PowerPoint Presentation and are used in all walks of life including the home, school and at work. PPT files can range in size depending on the content of the presentation. If a presentation contains a lot of images or videos then the file size can be especially large. Even just one high resolution image - such as a BMP - can increase the size of a PPT file tenfold. When a user complains that they have run out of space in their mailbox it is typically because they've been sent one too many large presentations. It is not surprising then that there is such a need to compress PPT files so that they do not take up as much storage and can be more easily shared. Using the Zamzar PPT compression tool, individual (and sizeable) elements - such as pictures and videos - are compressed bringing the overall file size down. Once compressed, the PPT (including the images and video within it) does not suffer from any noticeable loss in quality despite the file size being shrunk. It's worth remembering that if you receive a PPT file and need to send it on you can always put it through the Zamzar compression tool before you do so.

Any Operating System

It doesn’t matter what operating system you’re running; as long as you have a web browser, Zamzar can convert your files.

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You don't need to download any software to convert a file with Zamzar. All you need is access to the internet and you can then convert your file with us online.

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Zamzar has been around since 2006, and in that time we have worked day and night to make sure your files get converted as quickly as they possibly can.

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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.

Table of Contents

[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

powerpoint presentation smaller file

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

powerpoint presentation smaller file

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

powerpoint presentation smaller file

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 Reduce PowerPoint File Size

Learn how to optimize your next presentation

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What to Know

  • Crop images or compress them to reduce file size. To compress photos, go to Picture Tools Format >  Compress Pictures .
  • To compress media files, select File > Info > Compress Media .
  • If some of your slides are content-heavy,  turn a slide into a single image . Then, insert that image onto a slide.

Sometimes PowerPoint presentation files become too large to handle. These large files are difficult to email because many email providers limit the size of email attachments. And, large presentation files may not play properly on older computers. To keep your PowerPoint files in hand, follow these tips and make your PowerPoint presentations as small as possible.

Crop Pictures

Cropping pictures in PowerPoint has two bonuses for your presentation. First, stuff in the picture that's not necessary to make your point is removed. Second, the overall file size of your presentation is reduced. 

  • Right-click the image you want to crop and select Crop .
  • Drag the cropping handles to select the area you want to crop.
  • Select a blank area of the presentation slide to view the cropped photo.

Compress Photos

Compress the photos after they are inserted to reduce their file size.

  • Select a photo in the slideshow.
  • Go to Picture Tools Format .
  • Select Compress Pictures in the Adjust group.
  • Clear the Apply only to this picture check box to compress all photos in the presentation.
  • Place a check next to Delete cropped areas of pictures .
  • Select OK .

Compress Media Files

In PowerPoint for Windows, compress audio or video files in a presentation to make them smaller. When you make media files smaller, you may also lower the quality. When compressing media files, you have these options:

  • Full HD (1080p) reduces the file size and maintains overall quality.
  • HD (720p)  saves more space and provides quality comparable to media streamed over the internet.
  • Standard (480p)  creates a small file that is perfect to attach to an email, but may diminish overall quality.

To compress media files:

  • Go to File .
  • Select Info .
  • Select Compress Media .
  • Choose the option you wish to use.

Create a Picture from a Slide

If some of your slides are content-heavy, turn a slide into a single image . Then, insert that image onto a slide.

If you turn an image into a slide and then use that image to make a new slide, you will no longer be able to animate separate objects.

Make Multiple Slideshows

Consider breaking your presentation into more than one file. Create a hyperlink from the last slide in Show 1 to the first slide in Show 2 and then close Show 1. This approach may be cumbersome when you're in the middle of the presentation, but it frees up system resources if you only have Show 2 open.

If the whole slideshow is in one file, your RAM is constantly in use retaining the images of previous slides, even though you are many slides forward. By closing off Show 1 you'll free up these resources.

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How to Reduce the File Size of a PowerPoint Presentation

powerpoint presentation smaller file

The larger the PowerPoint presentation, the bigger the file size. Here’s how to reduce it.

The best PowerPoint presentations are those that are dynamic and interesting for their intended audiences. Typically, that means that you’re using images, videos , and other visual elements to get your points across.

Unfortunately, the larger the presentation and the more elements you use, the bigger the file. If your PowerPoint presentation file is too big, here are some steps you can take to reduce the overall file size.

Compressing PowerPoint Images

The biggest problem with any PowerPoint presentation isn’t the text—it’s the images. More images mean a bigger file, but you can take some steps to reduce the problem.

Reducing image sizes in Office documents will reduce the overall file size, and the best way to do this is by compressing your images. The downside to this is a reduction in image quality. However, PowerPoint does offer several compression options, so you can decide to use better quality images, although the image compression will be reduced as a result.

To start, open your PowerPoint presentation. Select an image, then press Format > Compress Pictures in the ribbon bar.

Compress Pictures button in PowerPoint

This will bring up the  Compress Pictures options box. There are five different image resolution options, including an additional Use default resolution option to leave your images intact.

Each resolution is measured in pixels per inch , where the larger the number, the better the quality (and the larger the file size). For maximum compression, select  E-mail (96 ppi).

If you’d prefer to compress only a single image, leave the  Apply only to this picture checkbox checked. If you want to compress all of the images in your PowerPoint presentation at once, make sure to uncheck this option.

Compress Pictures options in PowerPoint

Press  OK to compress your image (or images) once you’re ready.

Once you’ve saved your PowerPoint presentation ( File > Save ), the file size should be reduced. The impact of image compression on file size will depend on the number of images in your presentation, as well as their original quality.

Compressing Video in PowerPoint

Compressing other media types, like video files, is the next step in reducing your PowerPoint file size. Video files, in particular, can massively increase your PowerPoint files if they’re embedded in your presentation.

Thankfully, PowerPoint offers a built-in method for compressing and converting video files. To do this, open your presentation in PowerPoint, then press File > Info > Compress Media . In the drop-down menu, select the quality you wish to use for your embedded video files.

You can choose between Full HD (1080p), HD (720p), and Standard (480p) video quality.

Compress Media options in PowerPoint

If the video files are supported, PowerPoint will automatically compress the media files, reducing their overall quality in the process. Click  File > Info > Compress Media > Undo to undo the process if the quality is reduced too far.

If you’re happy with the process, save your document ( File > Save ).

Saving in the PPTX File Format

Most PowerPoint users are familiar with PPT, the PowerPoint file format. Many older PowerPoint presentations are still saved and distributed in this older format.

Unfortunately, the PPT file format is obsolete. The replacement, PPTX, uses compression to reduce the file size of PowerPoint presentations vastly. Saving your documents in the PPTX format, as well as converting existing PPT files to PPTX, can have a big impact on overall file size.

To convert your PPT file to PPTX, open the PPT file in PowerPoint. From there, click  File > Info > Convert .

PowerPoint convert PPT to PPTX button

This will open the  Save As dialog box, automatically selecting the PPTX file format. Confirm the file name for your new PPTX presentation, then press   Save  to confirm.

PowerPoint Save As box saving in the PPTX format

The additional benefits of compression that a PPTX file offers over the original PPT format should help to reduce the file size. However, the impact of saving your PowerPoint presentation as a PPTX file will depend on your original presentation file.

Disabling Embedded Fonts

Most PowerPoint users will use default system fonts for their presentation, but if you’re creating a themed presentation, you may decide to embed third-party fonts into your PowerPoint file. These embedded fonts might look great, but they can increase your PowerPoint file size significantly.

Unless you’re certain about including them, you should disable the embedded fonts option in PowerPoint. To do this, click  File > Options to open the PowerPoint options menu.

PowerPoint options button

In the  PowerPoint Options menu, press the Save tab.

Under the  Preserve fidelity when sharing this presentation section, click to disable the  Embed fonts in the file checkbox.

Embed fonts option in PowerPoint

Once the option is unchecked, click OK to save the setting, then press File > Save to save the document. Once saved, any embedded font files should be removed.

However, this is a setting that should only impact a small number of PowerPoint users and may only reduce your PowerPoint file size if you’re using a significant number of custom fonts.

Removing Hidden PowerPoint Data

Every PowerPoint document you create has additional information attached, including who authored it and other hidden metadata. If you’re trying to optimize your PowerPoint file size, removing this information should help to reduce the file size, although the impact should be relatively minor.

To do this, open your PowerPoint presentation, then click  File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document .

Inspect Document button in PowerPoint

In the  Document Inspector window, ensure that the Document Properties and Personal Information checkbox is selected, then press  Inspect .

Document Inspector window in PowerPoint

After the Document Inspector has scanned your PowerPoint presentation, click the  Remove All button for the  Document Properties and Personal Information option.

Remove Document Property Information button in PowerPoint

This will remove all personal metadata from your PowerPoint presentation, reducing the file size by a small amount.

Creating Better PowerPoint Presentations

You don’t need to compromise on quality to create high-quality PowerPoint presentations. If PowerPoint file sizes concern you, compress your media files and use the PPTX file format.

If you want to ditch PowerPoint completely, you could think about using Microsoft Sway instead.

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Optimize PowerPoint File Size: 5 Tips for Reducing the Size of Your Files!

It is still a common issue in offices today: employees from your company’s overseas branches send you the “latest presentation” via email. However, what arrives in your inbox is a 30-megabyte attachment that not only clogs your email but also slows down your computer when opened.

Furthermore, many companies still impose fixed maximum sizes for email attachments. As a result, there are instances where you may not receive the presentation at all. However, this scenario can be prevented with a few simple measures. Today, we’ll share 5 tips on how to optimize file sizes.

File Size Optimization: Here’s How!

Aim for a target size of approximately 5 megabytes or less for your presentations. This ensures that your PowerPoint file will reach the recipient as an email attachment. Follow these simple tips to reduce the file size of your PowerPoint files:

1. Remove Unused Slides, Pictures, and Videos

This is especially relevant for presentations that are edited by multiple people over an extended period. Often, there are numerous hidden old slides that may still contain images and videos, which can significantly impact the file size.

In such cases, delete all irrelevant slides and content from the presentation and save a new version. This can noticeably reduce the file size.

2. Compress Inserted Images

PowerPoint provides an integrated function to compress images in a presentation. To do this, open the presentation and go to “File,” then select “Save As.” Click on “Browse” in the newly opened window, then click on “Tools” at the bottom and choose “Compress Pictures.”

Compress PowerPoint File Size

Select the option “Delete cropped areas of pictures” and set the target output to 150 or 96 ppi. If your recipient plans to print the presentation, leave the target output at 220 ppi. For more information on compressing images in PowerPoint, check our article on the subject.

Compress PowerPoint File Size

You can find more information in our articel “ Compress Images “.

3. Discard Editing Data for Images

This option can further reduce the size of presentations. Go to the “File” tab, then select “Options. ” Under “Advanced,” check the box next to “Discard editing data” under “Image Size and Quality.” Keep in mind that after enabling this option, changes made to images cannot be undone.

Compress PowerPoint File Size

4. Avoid Creating Image Effects with PowerPoint

Avoid using PowerPoint’s image tools to edit your graphics and photos. For example, the image tools offer the option to apply “Artistic Effects” to your images. However, PowerPoint creates two image files – one for the original and one for the edited image with the artistic effect.

As a result, the overall file size increases with more images attached to the presentation. Instead, use a separate image editing program for effects and other adjustments. Insert the finished edited images into your presentation.

5. Check the Master Slide

When copying a slide from one presentation to another, it’s possible to unintentionally include the master slide from the source presentation in the target presentation, thus increasing its file size. To avoid this unnecessary increase in file size, always paste copied slides into the target presentation using the right-click option “Use Destination Theme.”

After completing your presentation, it’s always a good idea to check the master slide view. There, you can verify if any unnecessary master slides have been inadvertently included through copying and delete them if necessary.

Extra Tip: Use File Size Optimization Tools

There are various tools available that allow you to reduce the size of PowerPoint and other Office files. A popular tool is for example PowerShrink . Both software options allow you to shrink file sizes without any loss of quality. If you want to try out these tools, you can download and test their free trial versions.

Conclusion: Easily and Quickly Optimize Your File Size with Our Tips!

In presentations, file sizes can quickly become too large. To ensure that you and your colleagues can edit and send the presentation without any issues, it’s important to keep the file size below 5 MB. With our tips, you can easily and quickly optimize your file size! Give it a try!

If you have any questions about optimizing file sizes or general questions about PowerPoint, feel free to contact us at [email protected] . We’re here to help!

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You may also be interested in other articles:

  • Compressing PowerPoint Images
  • Standardizing Image Sizes

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Zip a presentation file

When you want to send your PowerPoint presentation to others, it’s easier to do when the file size isn’t too big. You can compress, or zip , the file in Windows, which shrinks the size of the file but retains the original quality of your presentation. You can also compress the media files within the presentation so they're a smaller file size and easier to send.

Compress (zip) a presentation with Windows Explorer or File Explorer

Open Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11) in one the following ways:

powerpoint presentation smaller file

Use the Windows Start menu: Right-click the Windows Start button, and select Open Windows Explorer (Windows 7) or File Explorer (Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows 11). If you don’t see the Start button, move your mouse to the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Browse to the presentation you want to compress.

Right-click the presentation, and select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder .

Right-click the presentation, click Send to, and click Compressed (zipped) folder.

Windows creates a new zip file and gives it an identical name as the PowerPoint file.

Send the compressed file to your intended recipient, who can then decompress the file just by clicking it.

Compressing media files in presentations

If your presentation contains audio or video content, you can reduce those media file sizes to make your overall file size smaller. Follow the steps at Compress your media files .

Reduce the file size of a picture

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COMMENTS

  1. Reduce the file size of your PowerPoint presentations

    Discarding it means that you can't restore the changes you make, but it will reduce your file size. Lowering the default resolution for images also reduces your overall file size. Go to File > Options > Advanced. Under Image Size and Quality, do the following: Select Discard editing data . This option removes stored data that's used to restore ...

  2. How to Reduce the File Size of a PowerPoint Presentation

    Converting the file is as simple as pressing a button and choosing the file type. Go ahead and open your PPT file, head over to the "File" tab, and then click "Convert.". Windows File Explorer will appear. You'll notice the Save As type is set as "PowerPoint Presentation." This is the PPTX file type. Click "Save.".

  3. 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.

  4. Compress PowerPoint Files, Online PPT Compressor

    Compress PowerPoint files online for free, reduce file size of PPT/PPTX/PPTM documents online, compress Microsoft PowerPoint files online, free PPT compressor. No registration, no watermarks, free to use for anyone.

  5. 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.

  6. Compress PPT Presentations Online

    How to Compress a PPT File for Free. Upload your PPT to the compress tool. Choose "Basic Compression.". Click on "Export As" and choose PowerPoint. All done! You can get started with compressing your PowerPoint presentation for free right away. You don't need a Smallpdf account—just go to the tool and drop your file in!

  7. 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.

  8. How to Compress a PowerPoint File on a PC or Mac

    To do this: 1. Open your PowerPoint slideshow and click "File" in the menu bar at the top of the screen. If you only want to compress specific images, select them before clicking "File." 2. In the ...

  9. How to Reduce Your PowerPoint (PPT) File Size Way Down (+ Video)

    Then, click on it to select it. Next, find the Insert dropdown in the Tools section. This is in the lower right corner of the Insert Video browser. On the dropdown, click Link to File. Choose Link to File to link to a video file, instead of embedding it directly inside the PPT deck.

  10. Compress PPT to reduce File Size (2022)

    Compress all images while saving the PPT file. Open your presentation. Go to File in the PowerPoint menu. Click Save as and then Browse. In the window that opens, click on Tools (right beside Save) Select Compress Pictures and choose the resolution you need.

  11. Free PowerPoint Compressor

    Why is my PowerPoint file so large? The primary reason that PowerPoint files become very large is because of media - images, video, and audio. You can have dozens or hundreds of text slides, and still maintain a small file size, but just one or two large images can drastically increase the file size of your PPT file.

  12. How to Reduce the File Size of Your PowerPoint Presentation

    The old file format called PPT, designed for Microsoft Office 2003 and older, uses up more space than the newer PPTX file format. While older versions of PowerPoint may not be able to open your file, the smaller file size means your presentation would fit in your email as an attachment.

  13. Compress PPT

    PPT files can range in size depending on the content of the presentation. If a presentation contains a lot of images or videos then the file size can be especially large. Even just one high resolution image - such as a BMP - can increase the size of a PPT file tenfold. When a user complains that they have run out of space in their mailbox it is ...

  14. 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.

  15. Compress PowerPoint Files (PPT, PPTX, ODG) Online for Free

    Here you can compress PowerPoint PPT, PPTX, PPTM and ODG files. online and reduce their file size of up to 90% the original size. Just select the PowerPoint file (max 50MB) to compress and wait. Select File to Compress.

  16. How to Reduce PowerPoint File Size

    Compress the photos after they are inserted to reduce their file size. Select a photo in the slideshow. Go to Picture Tools Format. Select Compress Pictures in the Adjust group. Clear the Apply only to this picture check box to compress all photos in the presentation. Place a check next to Delete cropped areas of pictures.

  17. How to compress PowerPoint files: Compressing PPT

    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.

  18. How to Reduce the File Size of a PowerPoint Presentation

    To do this, open your presentation in PowerPoint, then press File > Info > Compress Media. In the drop-down menu, select the quality you wish to use for your embedded video files. You can choose ...

  19. PPT Compressor

    How to Compress PowerPoint Presentations. Upload your PowerPoint file. Select and upload your PPT file. Wait for compression to end. Download or Share. Download the compressed file or share it directly via email or cloud storage. Compress large PPT files online with our free tool. Maintain high-quality visuals and reduce file size.

  20. Optimize PowerPoint File Size: 5 Tips!

    This can noticeably reduce the file size. 2. Compress Inserted Images. PowerPoint provides an integrated function to compress images in a presentation. To do this, open the presentation and go to "File," then select "Save As." Click on "Browse" in the newly opened window, then click on "Tools" at the bottom and choose ...

  21. Zip a presentation file

    When you want to send your PowerPoint presentation to others, it's easier to do when the file size isn't too big. You can compress, or zip, the file in Windows, which shrinks the size of the file but retains the original quality of your presentation.You can also compress the media files within the presentation so they're a smaller file size and easier to send.

  22. 5 Methods for Compressing a PowerPoint File (Plus Tips)

    Here are some benefits of compressing a PowerPoint file: It simplifies sharing the file. Compressing a PowerPoint file reduces the size of media within the presentation, like pictures or videos. This can make the overall file size smaller, which may help you share, receive and save presentations more easily. It improves accessibility.

  23. File Compressor ⁠— Compress documents and images online free

    How to compress files online. Drag or click the add file button to choose your document or image.*. Wait for WeCompress to reduce the file size. Click to download the smaller file to your local computer. *Supported formats are: PDF, PPT, Word, Excel, JPEG, PNG and TIFF. Compress PDF ⁠— PowerPoint, Word, Excel ⁠— JPEG, PNG and TIFF files.