resize powerpoint presentation for email

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.”

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.”

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.”

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.

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

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:

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:

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.”

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.”

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."

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

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.”

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!

How To Make A Powerpoint Smaller To Email

Making powerpoint presentations email-friendly: your ultimate guide.

Sending PowerPoint presentations via email is a convenient way to share information. Yet, large file sizes can pose a challenge. Fear not! We’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to help you reduce the file size of your PowerPoint presentations for seamless emailing. Let’s dive in!

How to Reduce the File Size of a PowerPoint Presentation for Email

• Delete Unnecessary Slides : Start by trimming the fat. Remove any slides that aren’t crucial to your presentation. This simple step can significantly reduce the file size.
• Trim Images and Videos : Cut down on the visual clutter by deleting unnecessary images or videos. Every megabyte counts!
• Compress Images : Right-click on each image and choose “Compress Pictures” . This nifty feature reduces image size without sacrificing quality.
• Save as PDF : Convert your presentation into a PDF format. This often results in a smaller file size. Simply go to File > Save As > PDF .
• Utilize File Compression Tools : Explore free online tools for further file size reduction. These tools work wonders in compressing large presentations into manageable sizes.

Tips for Compressing PowerPoint Files for Email

• Scale Down Images : Large, high-resolution images can bloat your file size. Opt for smaller dimensions or lower resolutions to shrink the file size.
• Eliminate Unnecessary Elements : Ditch fancy animations and excess audio/video files. They not only bloat your file but also distract your audience.
• Choose the Right Format : Save your presentation as a “PowerPoint Presentation” or “PowerPoint Show” to trim unnecessary data.
• Zip It Up : When all else fails, compress your presentation into a ZIP file. It’s a quick and effective way to reduce file size.
• Leverage File-Sharing Services : Consider uploading your presentation to platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive. This not only reduces file size but also ensures smooth sharing.

How to Optimize PowerPoint Presentations for Email

Sending a PowerPoint presentation via email? Here’s how to ensure it lands in your recipient’s inbox hassle-free:

• Shrink the File : Before hitting send, shrink your presentation’s file size using the methods mentioned earlier.
• Convert to PDF : PDFs are universally compatible and often have smaller file sizes. Plus, they maintain formatting integrity across devices.
• Include a Summary : Give your recipient a sneak peek into your presentation’s content by providing a brief summary in the email body.
• Share a Link : If the file size is still too hefty, share a link to your presentation hosted on a cloud platform. It’s convenient and saves inbox space.

Strategies for Making PowerPoint Files Smaller for Email

• Trim Image Usage : Less is more! Cut down on images or replace them with succinct text where possible.
• Image Compression : Reduce image file sizes using online tools or built-in features like “Compress Pictures” .
• Slide Reduction : Condense your presentation by removing redundant slides. Your audience will thank you for keeping it concise.
• Font Optimization : Stick to a few fonts to avoid bloating your file size unnecessarily.
• PDF Conversion : When all else fails, convert your presentation to PDF format. It’s a failsafe way to shrink file sizes.
• File Compression Software : Explore options like WinZip or 7-Zip for further reduction of file sizes.

Best Practices for Reducing PowerPoint File Size for Email

• Be Selective with Images : Only include images that are essential to your presentation’s message.
• Prioritize Image Compression : Opt for smaller image sizes or compress them before adding them to your presentation.
• Keep Slides Concise : Trim the fat by eliminating unnecessary animations, transitions, and slide elements.
• Stick to a Few Fonts : Limit font usage to maintain a lean file size and consistent visual style.
• Save as PDF : Whenever possible, save your presentation as a PDF to streamline file sharing.
• Consider Compression Tools : Invest in file compression software for efficient size reduction.

How to Use PowerPoint’s Compress Media Feature to Make Files Smaller for Email

PowerPoint’s Compress Media feature is a game-changer when it comes to shrinking file sizes. Here’s how to use it:

• Open your presentation and navigate to File > Info > Compress Media .
• Select the media files you want to compress and click “OK” .
• Let PowerPoint work its magic! Once done, your files will be significantly smaller and ready for emailing.

By leveraging PowerPoint’s built-in features and following these tips, you can effortlessly shrink file sizes and ensure smooth email delivery of your presentations. Happy emailing! 🚀

Unveiling Advanced Techniques for Email-Friendly Presentations

Ready to take your email-friendly presentations to the next level? Here are some advanced techniques to further optimize your PowerPoint files:

1. Embed External Media Wisely

While including external media like videos and audio can enhance your presentation, they often come with hefty file sizes. Consider embedding external media from online platforms like YouTube or SoundCloud instead of directly inserting them into your PowerPoint file. This not only reduces file size but also ensures seamless playback across devices.

2. Master the Art of Image Compression

Did you know that different image formats offer varying levels of compression? Experiment with formats like JPEG, PNG, or SVG to find the optimal balance between image quality and file size. Additionally, explore advanced image compression techniques using tools like Adobe Photoshop or online services like TinyPNG for maximum efficiency.

3. Leverage Slide Master for Uniformity

Maintaining consistency across your slides not only improves visual appeal but also helps reduce file size. Utilize PowerPoint’s Slide Master feature to establish a uniform layout, font, and color scheme throughout your presentation. This not only streamlines the design process but also minimizes redundant data, resulting in smaller file sizes.

4. Optimize Embedded Fonts

Custom fonts can add a touch of personality to your presentation but often inflate file sizes. To mitigate this, consider embedding only the characters used in your presentation instead of the entire font set. This reduces unnecessary data bloat while preserving your chosen typography.

5. Harness the Power of Vector Graphics

Vector graphics are resolution-independent and scale seamlessly, making them an excellent choice for reducing file size without compromising quality. Explore vector-based graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator or free alternatives like Inkscape to create lightweight and visually appealing elements for your presentation.

6. Minimize Background Elements

While background images and patterns can enhance visual interest, they can also contribute to bloated file sizes. Opt for subtle backgrounds or solid colors to minimize file size without sacrificing aesthetics. Remember, simplicity is key to an email-friendly presentation.

7. Utilize External Hyperlinks

Rather than embedding large files directly into your presentation, consider linking to external resources. This could include websites, documents, or multimedia content hosted online. Not only does this reduce file size, but it also ensures that your presentation remains lightweight and easily accessible to recipients.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Emailing PowerPoint Presentations

Despite your best efforts, you may encounter some common challenges when emailing PowerPoint presentations. Here’s how to tackle them head-on:

1. Dealing with File Size Limits

Many email providers impose file size limits on attachments, which can be restrictive when sending large presentations. If your file exceeds the limit, consider splitting it into smaller segments or using file compression techniques to meet the requirements.

2. Ensuring Compatibility Across Devices

Different devices and software versions may interpret PowerPoint presentations differently, leading to formatting issues or missing elements. To ensure compatibility, always save your presentation in the latest PowerPoint format and thoroughly test it across various devices and platforms before sending.

3. Avoiding Spam Filters

Some email servers may flag large attachments as potential spam, leading to delivery issues. To bypass spam filters, consider using file-sharing services or cloud storage platforms to host your presentation and include a download link in your email instead of attaching the file directly.

4. Securing Sensitive Information

If your presentation contains sensitive or confidential information, take precautions to secure it during transmission. Encrypt your presentation files or use password protection features to prevent unauthorized access and ensure data integrity.

5. Managing Version Control

As you make revisions to your presentation, keeping track of different versions can become challenging. Implement a version control system or use cloud-based collaboration tools to streamline the editing process and maintain a single source of truth for your presentation files.

Sending PowerPoint presentations via email doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With the right strategies and techniques at your disposal, you can create lightweight, visually engaging presentations that captivate your audience without overwhelming their inboxes. Embrace these advanced tips, overcome common challenges, and elevate your email-friendly presentations to new heights of success!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: why are powerpoint presentations often too large to email.

A1: PowerPoint presentations can become large due to factors such as high-resolution images, embedded media files, and complex slide animations. These elements contribute to the overall file size, making it challenging to send via email.

Q2: Can I compress PowerPoint files without compromising quality?

A2: Yes, you can compress PowerPoint files using various techniques such as resizing images, removing unnecessary elements, and converting to PDF format. These methods help reduce file size while preserving presentation quality.

Q3: How do I know if my email provider has file size limits for attachments?

A3: Most email providers specify their attachment size limits in their terms of service or help documentation. Alternatively, you can contact your email provider’s customer support for specific information regarding attachment size restrictions.

Q4: Are there any risks associated with using file compression tools?

A4: While file compression tools are generally safe to use, there is a small risk of data loss or corruption if not used correctly. Always ensure you’re using reputable compression software from trusted sources and back up your files before compressing them.

Q5: Can I password protect my PowerPoint presentations before sending them via email?

A5: Yes, PowerPoint allows you to password protect your presentations to prevent unauthorized access. You can set a password to open the file or restrict editing permissions, adding an extra layer of security when sharing sensitive information.

References and Citations

• Microsoft Support. “Reduce the file size of a picture in Microsoft Office.” Link
• Pexels. “Free stock photos.” Link
• Adobe. “Best Practices for Compressing and Optimizing PDFs.” Link
• “7 Tips to Reduce the Size of Your PowerPoint Files.” SlideGenius. Link
• “How to Make PowerPoint Presentations Smaller for Email.” Business Envato Tuts+. Link
• Adobe Illustrator. Link
• Inkscape. Link
• “7 Ways to Send Large Files for Free.” Zapier. Link
• “How to Password Protect a PowerPoint Presentation.” Techwalla. Link
• “File size limits for attachments in Yahoo Mail.” Yahoo Help. Link

By referring to these resources, you can delve deeper into the topic and explore additional insights and tips for optimizing PowerPoint presentations for email.

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How to Compress a Powerpoint Presentation for Email (Step-by-Step)

In our fast-paced daily lives, sharing PPT files is essential, and compression is the key to efficient transmission. However, many struggle with this process, unsure of how to compress Powerpoint presentations for email. Fear not! This article provides comprehensive guidance on compressing presentations for email.

Part 1: Reasons for Limitation on Email Attachment Size

Email services impose attachment size limits mainly for security and operational reasons. Large attachments can overload servers, cause delays, and increase the risk of spam and malware. By setting limits, email providers ensure smooth operation and protect users from potential threats.

Part 2: How to Compress a Powerpoint Presentation for Email

Reducing size of video for compressing ppt.

To reduce video size in your Powerpoint presentation for email, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your presentation in Microsoft Powerpoint. Click on the File tab in the upper-left corner.

Step 2: From the dropdown menu, select Info.

Step 3: Select Compress Media. There are three compression choices available.

Step 4: Select your favorite compression method.

Step 5: When the file has finished compressing, click Close.

Compressing Images

To compress images in your Powerpoint presentation, use the following guide:

Step 1: Launch PowerPoint and open the presentation.

Step 2 In the top toolbar, select "File" > "Options" > "Advanced."

Step 3 Adjust the options under "Image Size and Quality" as follows:

Check the box next to "Discard editing data."

Remove the check mark next to "Do not compress images in file."

In the "Default resolution" dropdown box, select "150 PPI" or below.

Step 4  Select "OK."

Compressing PPT as ZIP file

To compress your entire Powerpoint presentation into a ZIP file, follow these steps:

Step 1 Navigate to the presentation that you wish to compress.

Step 2 Select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder from the context menu when you right-click the presentation.

Step 3 Windows generates a new zip file with the same name as the PowerPoint file.

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Part 3: How to Email a Compressed Powerpoint Presentation ?

To email a compressed PPT, follow this step-by-step tutorial:

Step 1: Open your compressed PPT presentation.

Step 2: Select "File" from the top toolbar.

Step 3: Click on "Share," and then choose "Email."

Step 4: Under "Email," select one of the following options:

"Send as Attachment" to attach your presentation to an email message.

"Send a Link" to create an email containing a link to your presentation.

Note: For this option, save your presentation in a shared location like SharePoint or OneDrive.

"Send as PDF" to save your presentation as a PDF file and attach it to an email message.

"Send as XPS" to save your presentation as an.xps file that you can attach to an email message.

"Send as Internet Fax" to send your presentation as a fax without using a fax machine. This option requires signing up with a fax service provider.

Step 5: Fill in the recipient's email address, subject, and any additional message.

Step 6: Double-check the email content and attachments before clicking "Send."

Part 4: WPS Office - Your Best Alternative to Microsoft Office

WPS Office is a powerful office suite that provides a compelling alternative to Microsoft Office. With its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface, WPS Office has gained popularity among users seeking a reliable and free productivity solution.

Main Features of WPS Office:

Writer: A word processing tool with advanced formatting options and collaborative features.

Spreadsheets: An Excel-like spreadsheet application for data analysis and calculations.

Presentation: A dynamic presentation tool for creating captivating slideshows.

PDF: Allows users to convert, edit, and annotate PDF files effortlessly.

Advantages of WPS Office:

Free: WPS Office offers full functionality without any cost, making it an economical choice for individuals and businesses.

Perfect Compatibility: It supports a wide range of file formats, ensuring seamless collaboration with Microsoft Office users.

User-friendly Interface: WPS Office provides an intuitive interface, allowing users to navigate and utilize its features effortlessly.

Course Teaching: WPS Office offers tutorials and learning resources to help users maximize their productivity and proficiency with the suite.

1. How do I send a large PowerPoint file through Outlook?

To send a large PowerPoint file through Outlook, you have a few options:

Use OneDrive: Upload the large PowerPoint file to OneDrive and share the link to the file in your email instead of attaching the file directly.

Use cloud storage services: If you have access to cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, upload the file there and share the link in your email.

2. How to increase the size limit of email attachment in Office 365?

To change the Office 365 message limit, log in to your Office 365 portal and open the Exchange Admin. Access the recipients' mailbox properties, click on "Mailbox Features," and then navigate to "Message Size Restrictions." Change the maximum message size to a maximum of 150,000KB for both Sent and Received messages.

In this comprehensive guide, we learned how to efficiently compress a PowerPoint presentation for email, reducing file size without compromising quality. By following step-by-step instructions, you can easily compress videos, images, and the entire presentation into a ZIP file, making sharing hassle-free.

Additionally, we explored the advantages of using WPS Office as a powerful and free alternative to Microsoft Office, with its user-friendly interface and perfect compatibility. With WPS Office, you can enjoy a suite of essential productivity tools at no cost.

• 1. How to Embed a PDF in an Email: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 2. How to Convert an Email to a PDF for Free: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 3. How to Save Email as PDF on iPhone (Step-by-Step)
• 4. How to Compress a Powerpoint on Mac A Comprehensive Guide
• 5. How to Convert Outlook Email to PDF with Attachments (Step-by-Step)
• 6. How to Send a PowerPoint Through Email(3 Common Methods)

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Compress PPT Presentations Online

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..

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!

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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

• 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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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)

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

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

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.

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A podcast is an audio or video contribution that can be listened to or viewed via the Internet. Podcasts can be used for information on specific topics but also for entertainment.

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

10 Ways to Compress PowerPoint Presentations to Reduce File Size

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.

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

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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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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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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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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 974,894 times. Learn more...

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

Compressing Images on Windows

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

Compressing Images on Mac

Removing Edit Data on Windows

Expert Q&A

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

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

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• ↑ 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/

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

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How to compress PowerPoint presentations and reduce picture file size

• Written by: Richard Goring
• Categories: PowerPoint design , PowerPoint productivity
• Comments: 28

Media-rich presentations are great. Including high-quality images and videos often adds hugely to audience engagement, but it also adds file size. Adding to your file size means that your presentation is likely to sit on the unfriendly size of email etiquette, but it also means your PowerPoint will run a lot slower (and it may crash – see this article for more on that ). But is there an answer? Absolutely. Here are five ways to compress PowerPoint file size for easy emailing and speedy running of your presentation.

View our tips in this video.

The content from the video can be found in the article below.

Method 1: Compress PowerPoint presentations using in-built tools

Did you know PowerPoint has a built-in picture and video compression tool? Well it does, and it’s really easy to use.

• Select a picture on any slide and go to the Picture Tools Format tab on the ribbon.
• Choose Compress Pictures in the top left corner: the pop-up box shows you the resolution options you have for the image. For most purposes the web resolution of 150ppi is fine, but if it’s a particularly large screen you’re using, or you’re going to print it, maybe choose the print 220ppi option. This reduces the resolution of the image down to that level, which should help reduce the file size of the image a bit.
• If you uncheck the first box, you’ll apply that resolution change to all of the images in the deck, pushing the file size down further.
• It’s interesting to note that if you crop an image in PowerPoint, the cropped portion of the image is still there, just hidden away. That also adds to the file size of the PowerPoint, so checking the second box will delete any of these hidden areas, potentially reducing your file size quite a bit more.
• Navigate to the File tab in PowerPoint, and the Info page should be selected.
• If you have video files in your PowerPoint the first button on this page will be to ‘Compress Media’. Click this button and choose the quality you want PowerPoint to compress your file to. 1080p is fine for almost any application, and in many instances 720p will work well too.
• Once you’ve chosen a video resolution, you’ll see a new window open showing the progress of the compression. It’ll also tell you how much space has been saved after the compression has been completed – handy.
• Check your video after it’s compressed to make sure it still looks good. If you realise you’ve made a terrible mistake, you can also undo the last compression from the same ‘Compress Media’ drop-down menu.

That may do the trick, but sometimes you’ll come across a presentation that stubbornly refuses to yield a decent file size. At this point, you need to get tricksy.

Method 2: Locating large files in your PowerPoint

A problem you can face when you need to compress PowerPoint slides is that, often, you don’t know which object is causing your file size to jump so much. It might be that 90% of your media files are a combined total of 5MB, but there’s one troublesome image that is 30MB on its own. Here’s a fool-proof way of finding which files are causing you problems.

• Go to the folder where the presentation is stored. You can see the file size in the bottom left corner. Go to the view tab at the top and select the File name extensions box over on the right-hand side. This puts the file type extension at the end of all your files, so for PowerPoint, it’s .pptx.
• Now, copy and paste your PowerPoint file, using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V. On the copy of the file, click on the .pptx and change it to .zip. Windows will give you a warning that you could ruin your file, but that’s OK, because this is a copy and the original is still safe. Say yes, and then you’ll see that your PowerPoint file has now turned into a zip file.
• Open the zip file and you’ll be greeted with a lot of unfriendly looking folders. Go into the ppt folder and there are even more unfriendly folders. Then go into the media folder, and here you’ll find all the images, music, and video files used in your presentation. At this point, you can sort them by file size, and easily see the culprits that are jacking up your storage allocation.
• Once you’ve got them, you have a couple of options. You could go into an image editing program, and the Photos app in Windows 10 is actually really good for this. Simply open an image, go to the dots menu on the right-hand side, choose Resize, and then adjust the resolution of the images easily. In most presentations you can take this down to the 2MP setting, or define custom dimensions, with the smallest side around 1000 pixels.
• A neat way of actually finding the large image within the deck is to delete the large image in the zip file and change it back to a .pptx from a .zip. When you open it up in PowerPoint your picture will have been replaced by a white box with a red cross in it. Right click on the white box, choose Change Picture, and find a different, or a lower resolution image to fill the gap.

For video you’ll likely need to use another tool, so find the video files using the zip method, or extract them using the free BrightSlide PowerPoint add-in ( File & Master > Export Media Files ), and then use the methods below with the free Handbrake video editing software.

Method 3: Reducing picture resolution in PowerPoint

• In PowerPoint, find the image that’s huge (using method 2), copy it, and reduce the size of it physically on the slide.
• Copy the new smaller image using Ctrl + C, and then paste it using Ctrl + V. Before doing anything else, you’ll see there’s a little pop-up box in the bottom right of the image, which are the paste options. Choose the ‘Picture’ option and your image is now a new picture at a lower resolution (because you made it smaller on the slide). Then use this to replace your existing image, which will cut out the large file size version.
• If you’ve got lots of animation on your image or it’s in a group and you don’t want to have to redo it, right click on the new smaller image, choose Save as Picture, and save it somewhere.
• Right click on the original picture, and choose Change Picture, which allows you to find another image to replace it with. If you choose the image that you’ve just saved, you shouldn’t see any difference on the slide, but your old large file size image should now have been replaced with the lower resolution, smaller file size image, helping to reduce the file size of your presentation.

Method 4: Use the correct file types

Another tip is to think about the type of image file you’re working with. The three most common are JPEGs, PNGs, and TIFs. JPEGs are the most common. They’re usually slightly lower quality, but it’s often difficult to tell, unless the screen is really good or very large. PNGs provide excellent quality for the size, and also allow you to have transparent areas of your images, but that comes at a cost, with file size usually pretty high. TIF files are often produced by high quality cameras in professional photo shoots. They’re great for print, but overkill in a PowerPoint presentation. So if you’re struggling with the file size on a particular image, try saving it as a JPEG:

• In PowerPoint right click your image and choose Save as Picture.
• Choose JPEG from the Save as type drop-down options in the window that opens up.

Method 5: Streamline your PowerPoint file by deleting things you don’t need

The last way to keep your file size low is to make sure you don’t have anything in the file that you don’t actually need. What might this be? Well, it’s things like huge Slide Masters and templates with images and graphics on them that you just won’t ever use. To streamline your PowerPoint file:

• Open the ‘View’ tab in the PowerPoint ribbon and select ‘Slide Master’.
• If you can see a number of masters that don’t appear in your presentation, then delete them.
• If your template uses a lot of images, and you can’t delete them, then use one of the other methods to compress them to save a little space.

Tip 1: Always ‘Save As’ – you might not need those layouts this time, but you might need them in the future.

Tip 2: If you have a number of layouts you don’t use then it might be worth chatting to the team that put the template together to see if they can reduce the number of slides in the interests of keeping file size low.

And all of these tips combined will help you to compress PowerPoint files, resulting in svelte slide decks that you can use and share with ease!

How to reduce video file size with HandBrake

If you want fine detail control over resolution or codecs, or want to remove parts of the video, you’ll need to use a specialist video tool. A terrific one is HandBrake , a free, excellent quality video transcoder that possibly has the best logo and program icon ever. You can use HandBrake to change the format, codec, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate, plus loads more. If that sounds a bit technical, sorry, but the presets are really good. Drag the video file you want to compress into Handbrake, and in the Presets drop-down menu in the top left, choose either Fast 1080p30 or Fast 720p30 (that’s 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second), and then the green Start Encode button at the top. This will often magically reduce file size by up to half, and it takes only a few minutes.

If you’re really keen, you can use the Range options at the top to trim the video, removing a lot of unwanted footage. This is essentially the same as the trimming function in PowerPoint, but you immediately remove all the footage from the video, rather than having to use the compress media function. You may want to do this if you want to keep the resolution of your video, and it’s larger than the highest 1080p resolution available with compress media, such as 4K.

It may also be useful to use HandBrake to convert the format of a video not playing in PowerPoint. My colleague John has written a nice overview of how to do this and what else you can do if embedded videos in PowerPoint aren’t playing , and there’s a good test file to see what might be causing the problem on your computer.

Richard Goring

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Thank you it was very helpfull

Very helpful especially the zip details 🙂

Tip 2b: you can convert the TIFF or PNG files in your presentation to JPEG as follows: selecting it, cut it (Ctrl – x), then use “Paste Special” and choose JPEG to paste it.

Thanks for you tip. It was very helpful.

This was SO helpful!! Thanks!!

Very helpfull!

Thank you!!!

Thanks for the tips and also for sharing the deck!

The .zip trick was extremely helpful! Thank you!

Thank you for this information, it is always a struggle to deal with file size. Just a note, when viewing your video, all views showing PowerPoint and flies information is blurry and we cannot read or see the writing properly .

Thanks again, always appreciate your tips & tricks

Very useful thank you!

I’ve been struggling for days on this, but the zip trick FINALLY allowed me to figure out the size sinks in my ppt! Thank you!!

try saving the powerpoint as a pdf then exporting the pdf back to powerpoint (I use FoxitPhantom pdf for this)

I just cut a 100 mb file down to 1mb by doing that

That ZIP trick is effective but my computer didn’t want to save the PPT as a ZIP file. What I did instead was right-click on every image in my PPT to “save as picture” on my PC. Many of what turned out to be my file size hogs were revealed as PNG files when I tried to save them. I saved them instead as JPG files. Then I returned to that image, right-click and choose “replace image” and I use instead the JPF version. In my case a 6MB file was cut down to 1MB.

Thank you! Super helpful and worked perfectly!

This was incredibly helpful, thanks so much. I was struggling to figure out which images in my presentation were causing the file to get so bloated. This solved my problem quickly!

Option #2 – excellent thanks.

Excellent! Thank you

THANK YOU! your article saved the day for me.

Very useful! was struggling before I read this!

the tricks are very useful

Thank you so much! This reduced my presentation size from 34 MB to 10 MB!

Super super helpful and amazing step by step approach! Thank you so much!

Thanks a lot!!! All this information was incredibly helpfull. I love what you do at BrightCarbon.

Grettings from Medellín Colombia.

many thanks this is so helpful

Thanks a lot for your great article. I enjoyed a lot the idea to spot the large size images by copying and renaming with zip extension. Brilliant! Thanks for your sharing and have a nice day

Question: On the copy of the file, click on the .pptx and change it to .zip. How on earth? If I click on the .pptx, it opens Powerpoint. Any idea?

Thanks so much for all your advice in this article! Easy to follow and helped me loads.

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I wanted to make sure I send you both a HUGE thank you for making this story come to life and creating amazing graphics to help. We really appreciate BrightCarbon for stepping up our presentation game massively! Sarah Walker Softchoice

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How to Reduce PowerPoint File Size

Learn how to optimize your next presentation

• Brock University

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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Change the size of your slides

Basic steps.

To change the slide size:

Select the Design tab of the toolbar ribbon.

Select Standard (4:3 aspect ratio) or Widescreen (16:9) or Custom Slide Size .

For more about the predefined sizes (including formats like Overhead, A3, A4, Banner, B4, and B5) or your own custom sizing, click a heading below to expand it and see the details .

Detailed steps

Choose the standard or widescreen slide size.

On the Design tab of the Ribbon, locate Slide Size in the Customize group, near the far right end of the toolbar.

Select Slide Size , and then select either Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9) .

When PowerPoint is unable to automatically scale your content, it prompts you with two options:

Maximize : Select this option to increase the size of your slide content when you are scaling to a larger slide size. Choosing this option could result in your content not fitting on the slide.

Ensure Fit : Select this option to decrease the size of your content when scaling to a smaller slide size. This could make your content appear smaller, but you’ll be able to see all content on your slide.

The 16:9 widescreen setting is the default value for new presentations you create. When you change the slide size for a presentation, the size you choose only applies to that presentation.  However, you can make it easy to create a new 4:3 presentation for yourself whenever you want—by defining a custom theme that uses the 4:3 aspect ratio. See the section below named "Make a default size to start from when creating new presentations."

Choose another size, such as A3, B4, or Overhead

Select Slide Size , and then select Custom Slide Size .

In the Slide Size box, click the down arrow next to Slides sized for and select an option. Their dimensions are listed below:

Overhead provides an aspect ratio very close to the standard 4:3 slide size.

There are two options for 16:9 aspect ratios:

On-screen Show (16:9) sets the slide dimensions to 10 in x 5.625 in.

Widescreen sets it to 13.333 in x 7.5 in.

Both of these options are the same aspect ratio so they will look the same in Normal View , since PowerPoint automatically adjusts the zoom level. Widescreen (13.333 in x 7.5 in.) provides more slide surface area for the content, so that is the best choice for presentations. Widescreen won’t fit on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper without you having to scale it down.

Select OK to accept the dimensions and close the Slide Size dialog box.

Choose custom dimensions (in inches, centimeters, or pixels)

The Slide Size dialog box opens.

In the Slide Size dialog box, ensure the orientation is set the way you want it.

In the Height and Width boxes, PowerPoint accepts measurements in inches , centimeters , or pixels . Type a number followed by a space and then the appropriate abbreviation: in , cm , or px .

PowerPoint then converts measurements, if necessary, to the type of unit your operating system uses.

You can change the unit of measure that is shown in PowerPoint dialog boxes if you like.

Make a default size to start from when creating new presentations

This version of PowerPoint has a default size of 16:9 for new presentation, but you can create a different default for yourself.

Start PowerPoint.

On the File tab of the toolbar ribbon, select New . Then double-click the Blank Presentation to create a new, empty presentation.

Then on the Design tab, click Slide Size and choose the size you want for a default.

(If you want a different default slide size than what's listed there, select Custom Slide Size and then choose your size in the Slide Size dialog box, and then click OK .)

Select Save Current Theme .

Give your theme a name that you'll remember easily and click Save . Don't change the folder that the new theme is to be saved in.

On the Design tab, click the More arrow again in the bottom-right corner of the Themes group. You'll see your newly saved theme under a Custom heading.

Right-click that new custom theme under the Custom heading, and then select Set as Default Theme :

Close PowerPoint. Don't save any files if it prompts you.

Open PowerPoint again. On the File tab of the toolbar ribbon, select New .

The custom theme that you just saved is listed at the top left corner, named Default Theme . The thumbnail image looks like a widescreen slide, but in reality, when you create a new presentation based on that theme, the presentation has the aspect ratio that you've defined for this default theme.

The next time you open PowerPoint, you'll see your default theme in the upper-left of the theme gallery. When you select it, all the slides will be the custom size you chose by default.

Sizing applies to all slides in a presentation

PowerPoint isn't able to resize one slide within a presentation. All slides in a presentation are the same size.

If this is a feature you’d like to request, please send us your feedback to help us prioritize new features in future updates. See  How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365  for more information.

Orientation applies to all slides in a presentation

PowerPoint isn't able to change the page orientation of certain slides. All slides in a presentation have the same page orientation.

Change the page orientation in PowerPoint between landscape and portrait

Use portrait and landscape slide orientation in the same presentation

Reduce the file size of a picture

On the File menu, select Page Setup .

In the Page Setup dialog box, under Slides sized for , select the predefined size you want, or choose Custom and specify the dimensions you want.

Select Slide Size .

Select Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9) .

PowerPoint may prompt you about scaling your content. Choose one of the following options:

Scale: Select this option to decrease or increase the size of your slide content. When scaling to a smaller slide size, this could make your content appear smaller, but you’ll be able to see all content on your slide.

Don't Scale: Select this option to maintain the size of your slide content. Choosing this option could result in your content not fitting on the slide.

Choose Page Setup from the menu that appears.

Page Setup gives you an assortment of predefined slide/page size options. The options and their dimensions are listed below:

In the Slide Size box, click the down arrow next to Slides sized for and select an option.

Widescreen sets the dimensions to 13.333 in x 7.5 in.

Choose custom dimensions (in inches, centimers, or pixels)

Select Slide Size , and then click Page Setup .

The Page Setup dialog box opens.

In the Width and Height boxes, PowerPoint accepts measurements in inches , centimeters , or pixels . Type a number followed by a space and then the appropriate abbreviation: in (inches) or cm (centimeters) or px (pixels).

PowerPoint then converts the measurements, if necessary, to the unit of measurement your operating system uses.

Make a new slide size the default for new presentations

Select Slide Size , and then select Page Setup .

Follow the steps in the prior section to choose the slide size you want.

On the Design tab, click the More arrow below the standard themes.

Click Save Current Theme at the bottom of the window.

Give your theme a name that you'll remember easily and click Save .

On the Design tab, click the More arrow below the standard themes again. You'll see your newly saved theme under Custom .

Right-click your new custom theme, and then click Set as Default Theme .

The next time you open PowerPoint, you'll see your default theme in the upper-left of the theme gallery. When you select it, all the slides will be the size you chose for your default theme.

Some folks have asked about resizing one slide within a presentation. PowerPoint isn't able to do that. All slides in a presentation are the same size.

Some folks have also asked about changing the page orientation of certain slides. PowerPoint isn't able to do that. All slides in a presentation have the same page orientation.

On the Design tab of the toolbar ribbon, click Slide Size in the Customize group.

Click Standard (4:3) or Widescreen (16:9) .

When PowerPoint for the web is unable to automatically scale your content, it prompts you with two options:

The 16:9 widescreen setting is the default value for new presentations you create. When you change the slide size for a presentation, the size you choose only applies to that presentation. 

You can also change the orientation of all the slides in your presentation. See Change the page orientation for instructions.

Choose custom dimensions

In the Width and Height boxes, type a measurement in inches . PowerPoint doesn't accept measurements outside the minimum and maximum shown below:

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Resizing Your Presentation

November 21, 2001 by Ellen Finkelstein 13 Comments

Often, resizing your presentation presents no problem. Choose Design tab> Page Setup and choose the new size in the dialog box. But sometimes your graphics get distorted and misplaced. Here’s how to solve the problem.

• If you’ve already changed the page size, change the size back to its original setting.
• Choose File > Save As and make a copy of the presentation .
• In the copy, return to the Page Setup dialog box and change the page size as desired.
• Re-open the original presentation.
• Choose Window > Arrange All.
• Find a slide in the new presentation containing a distorted graphic and find the matching slide in the original presentation.
• In the original presentation, copy the graphic to the Clipboard.
• Click in the new presentation and delete the distorted graphic.
• Paste the graphic from the Clipboard.

Repeat steps 6-9 for all the distorted graphics. (Thanks to Steve Rindsberg for this tip.)

PowerPoint 2013 has a special feature that lets you resize a presentation and choose how you want the graphics to convert. Choose Slide Size on the Design tab.

Related posts:

• Managing Graphics to Reduce Size
• Play music or narration throughout a presentation
• Hyperlink to a specific slide in another presentation, or specific location in another file
• PowerPoint Tips: Turn AutoShapes into Pictures

13 Leave a Reply

I have make a PowerPoint Presentation and i have to Attach the Presentation in a Mail ,but its not able to Attach the file in a Mail because of the Size of Presentation ,Size of Presentation is near above 13mb ,so how to Re-size the Size of PowerPoint Presentation ,that I can Attach the file in a Mail.

You want to compress, not resize. But at that size, you may not be able to compress it enough to email it. Here are 2 tips on that topic: http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/compress-your-powerpoint-and-other-files-for-easy-emailing-and-handling/ http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/managing-graphics-to-reduce-size/

I often find myself printing screen captures from websites and then pasting them onto slides of presentations I am making. Each time I have to manually reduce the size of the page to get it to fit neatly within the borders of the slide. Is there a way to make this resizing take place automatically rather than to do it each time I import another web page?

You can select a picture placeholder and paste. The image will be resized to fit the placeholder. If the shape is different, PowerPoint crops the image. You may need to create a custom layout that includes a picture placeholder (not a content placeholder). See http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/create-a-custom-layout/ There’s some info about resizing and cropping images at http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/how-to-resize-and-crop-pictures-in-powerpoint/ Also, you might want to use a screen capture tool like SnagIt, which lets you resize the image before you save it.

Hi. I see your nine steps to resizing, above, but my version of PowerPoint uses the ribbon instead of the old trusty menu bar. Step 3 therefore seems impossible, since I see no Page Setup option. Can you help? Thanks.

Richard, yes, this tip is very old! I should update it. Look on the Design tab; you should find the Page Setup there. In PowerPoint 2013, it’s called Slide Size.

Just went back and updated it.

Hi, I have a problem I frequently run into and have found no elegant solution for: I give series of concert lectures using ppt presentations. In some venues, the screen is raised above the ensemble, and all is fine. In others, the screen reaches all the way down to the floor, and the projector is directed accordingly, the result being that the ensemble (myself included) gets in the way of the presentation. I normally shrink all the images and move them to the top half of the slides (I put a black box on the bottom half). But this is …  Read more »

Perhaps you could change the slide size and see how that works. Is each one different slides? You could have 2 versions and update each separately. I don’t have any better idea.

my girlfreind has made 200 ppt presentations for various teaching materials – they were done in the new PPT Office 2013 they are set to wide screen slide format, they do not project onto the smart boards (too small) they need to 4:3 ratio is there a quick way to resize the presentations – she has not set up any slide masters unfortunatley. Do you know of a solution other than manually re editing the presentation once the page size has been changed.

PowerPoint 2013 has a great feature that lets you resize in 2 ways — either maintain the integrity of the objects on the slide or squeeze them. Go to Design tab, Slide Size, choose Standard, and choose one of the options. Try each one to see the result. One will give the best result, but there will definitely be some manual adjustment necessary as well.

I am making a PowerPoint slideshow for the 5th grade graduation. Our committee collected kindergarten and 5th grade pictures from all students to show side by side on a big screen behind them as they walk on stage to accept their certificates from the principal. The problem is some kids submitted very tiny pictures. When I enlarge them on my computer, they become jagged and distorted. Can I work around that or do I need to nag parents for larger pictures?

I am making an abstract ppt presentation for a veterinary congress. I have studied all available info about slide sizing and the tips concerning aspect ratios 4:3 and 16:9 and the differences between power point 2007, 2010, 2013. I cannot find any literature or tips on what the custom slide sizes are used for and if there is a relationship between slide size and projection screen size. I intend to project on a 48″ tv (aprox.60cm X 106cm). The widescreen choice sets by default not only the ratio but the slide size of the presentation on 25,4 X 14,29. Should …  Read more »

Natalie, Custom slide sizes are used to create custom size slides, simple as that. For example, if you’re going to print out slides, you might want 8-1/2 x 11″ slides to use all of the paper. The relationship of the slide size and projection screen size is really only in relation to the proportions. If you have a wide screen that you’re projecting on, it’s good to have a wide screen slide or else you’ll get black bars. I’m not an expert of resolution, but I don’t believe there’s any difference (or much difference) when you make the slide size …  Read more »

Division of Extension

Biosecurity Practices Presentations Aim to Educate Livestock Owners to Help Mitigate Disease Spread

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Staff from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension produced a series of three educational videos on how to protect livestock from disease-causing microorganisms.

The videos offer biosecurity measures livestock owners can take to reduce the risk of introducing and spreading diseases found in Wisconsin.

“No one is more vested in the success of your livestock operation than you are. Your farm’s biosecurity plan depends on you,” said DATCP Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Elisabeth Patton. “Successful biosecurity plans are dependent on consistent and thorough management steps that you and everyone on your operation practice every single day to reduce the risk to your animals and your herd.”

The three educational videos are hosted on the DATCP YouTube channel .

Basic Biosecurity Practices For Livestock Operations

The first video focuses on basic biosecurity practices for livestock operations.

Biosecurity Practices For Livestock At Fairs, Shows, And Exhibitions

The Second video outlines practices for biosecurity at fairs, shows, and exhibitions.

Biosecurity During a Disease Outbreak

The third video provides an overview of biosecurity during disease response.

The videos offer instructions for practicing four critical steps to help stop the spread of disease including exclusion, separation, cleaning, and disinfecting. Tips for biocontainment and risk assessment are also provided. 

The videos are appropriate for all age levels, from youth who are planning to show animals at a fair for the first time, to longtime producers. Regardless of experience level caring for livestock, these videos demonstrate how to protect animals and prevent the spread of diseases.

“Biosecurity means keeping animals healthy by protecting them from diseases. Anytime we bring animals together from different farms, there is a risk of sharing germs,” UW-Extension Senior Outreach Specialist Sandy Stuttgen said. “However, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of introducing and spreading diseases while attending shows and steps to take to not bring diseases home to your farm.”

The videos were created with the expertise of UW-Madison Division of Extension educators and outreach specialists including Sandy Stuttgen, Heather Schlesser, and Carolyn Ihde, DATCP veterinarians Dr. Elisabeth Patton and Dr. Becky Johnson, and DATCP emergency management specialist Kurt Grajkowski.

DATCP and UW-Madison Division of Extension encourage all to share the videos widely with friends, colleagues, coworkers, and family who could benefit from the information.

Funding for this work was provided by United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services Veterinary Services (USDA-APHIS-VS) through a cooperative agreement with DATCP.

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