Introduction:
Mircosoft Word file sizes matter most when you need to share a Word document with others through email or WhatsApp. With a big file size, you can run into a problem when sending a document over emails, such as a challenge with internet speed or a restriction of 25MB from Microsoft Outlook or Gmail. Meanwhile, your recipients could run into issues when opening a sizable doc on their mobile devices.
Here are a few simple ways to reduce the size of a Word document to make it less bulky and more shareable.
1. Save in DOCX Format
Starting with Word 2007, documents now save in DOCX format instead of DOC. The only reason to use DOC is if you need backward compatibility with ancient word processing apps.
One of DOCX's benefits is far smaller file sizes. A document that's a few megabytes in DOC form would take up just a few hundred kilobytes as a DOCX.
When you save your Word documents, make sure to choose the DOCX format. If you're already working with a DOC file, open the File tab in Word and select Convert on the Info tab. You'll need to accept a prompt and provide a new file name.
2. Compress Images
Before you insert an image into a Word document, it is optionally to perform some edits using any image editor software. If you edit inside Word, it will retain the original version and waste space.
You should also use the Insert > Picture menu to add an image from your computer in a space-friendly format, like JPG, instead of pasting it in. When you paste, Word adds the image as a PNG or BMP, which both take up a lot of space.
Finally, on the Save As menu, you can select Tools > Compress Pictures and select a Resolution or E-mail for all of them. Depending on the document, you may be able to get away with lower-quality images to save more space.
