Always compress images in Word?

Question

In word 2007. If you go to File -> Save As -> Word Document (or word 2003 document), a save file location dialog comes up. There is a tools arrow, under which one of the options is compress pictures. In here you can compress all the pictures in a document. I was wondering if anyone knew a way to have it always compress pictures in every document.

Answer 1

When an image is inserted into a microsoft office document the file size of the document grows, there is a built in tool in the office apps to compress the pictures.

Click on any picture in a document and then select "compress pictures" icon from the toolbar.

This can be applied to either just the current picture selected or all pictures in the document you also have a choice of wether it's for print or the screen.

This will reduce the file size when saved.

Answer 2

Compressing images is an odd choice for a way to save space... Images files like JPG, GIF, and PNG can't really be compressed further without reducing the quality of the picture. BMP files are the only ones that will see any impact, but you shouldn't be using BMP anyway (save files as PNG or JPG instead). Word might automatically be reducing the quality, which would be saving space for all the pictures... I don't know if that is what word does.

If you're trying to save space, a better option would be to use a compressed folder. Right click the folder they are stored in, then go to advanced, check "compress contents" and hit okay. (It may ask you if you want to compress all of the content inside, to which you should say yes).

Answer 3

Word has no built-in feature that can compress the images at the moment of saving. What you can do is to create a macro (you can also ask for it on Stack Overflow) that can do both at one dash.