As we create more documents, presentations, and other files, our file storage needs grow. Large files take up more disk space, are harder to share and email, and can slow down your computer’s performance.
Fortunately there are several ways to compress and optimize Word documents to reduce their file size while maintaining quality. In this article, I’ll share tips to shrink your Word docs so they take up less storage space.
Why Compress Word Documents?
Here are some key reasons you may want to compress your Word files
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Save disk space. The smaller your Word documents, the less disk space they consume. This leaves room for more files on your PC or laptop.
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Faster sharing and transferring Smaller Word docs transfer faster via email and services like Dropbox, Large files are more prone to transfer errors,
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Better performance. A bloated Word document takes longer to open, save, and edit. Trimming the file size speeds things up.
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Lower costs. If you store files in the cloud, smaller files equal lower storage fees.
Ways to Shrink Word Document Size
Now let’s explore some techniques to reduce Word document size:
1. Compress Pictures
Pictures usually account for the bulk of a Word file’s size. To shrink images:
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Use the Compress Pictures option on the Picture Tools Format tab. This reduces picture quality slightly, but trims size.
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Save images used at a lower resolution before inserting them. A resolution of 100 dpi is fine for web and desktop Word docs.
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Crop images tightly to remove unnecessary background areas. The closer you crop, the smaller the image.
2. Remove Unused Formatting
Extra formatting bloats Word files. To trim it:
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Accept all tracked changes instead of maintaining change history.
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Delete unused styles. You can see these by selecting a blank space and viewing the styles pane.
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Remove manual spacing like extra returns between paragraphs. Rely on styles for spacing.
3. Switch to .docx Format
Newer .docx Word formats compress content using zip technology. To get these benefits:
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Convert older .doc files to .docx. In Word, select File > Save As and choose .docx.
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Adjust your Word default format to .docx under File > Options > Save.
4. Avoid Copying Text From Web Pages
When you copy text from web pages, extra hidden formatting gets inserted. To avoid this:
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Paste the text into Notepad first to strip formatting. Then copy from Notepad into Word.
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Use the Paste Special > Unformatted Text option when pasting into Word.
5. Use Lower Resolution Images
As mentioned earlier, high-resolution pictures greatly increase file size. Some tactics to use lower resolution images:
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Change the default resolution for inserted images under File > Options > Advanced. Try 96 or 100 dpi.
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Resize large pictures using Picture Tools Format > Adjust > Compress Pictures.
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Save screenshots and other images at lower resolution before inserting them.
6. Compress Media Files
Audio, video, and other media files embedded in Word docs can bloat file size. To help avoid this:
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Compress media clips externally using a tool like Handbrake before insertion.
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Use lower resolution and more compressed media file formats when possible.
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Link to media files instead of embedding when practical.
7. Save as PDF
PDF files are highly compressed yet maintain formatting across devices. Consider saving final or archived Word documents as PDFs.
To do this, select File > Save As and choose PDF. Check Optimize for file size in the options.
8. Delete Revisions, Versions, and Drafts
Revision marks, document versions, and draft copies all increase the size of your Word files. To clean these up:
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Accept all tracked changes instead of maintaining revision history.
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Delete older draft copies you no longer need by selecting File > Manage Versions.
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Purge the autorecovery data under File > Options > Save to clear drafts.
9. Use Smaller Fonts and Line Spacing
Larger fonts and double line spacing boost document length. To reduce this:
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Use 11 or 12 point standard fonts like Arial or Times New Roman.
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Set line spacing to 1.0 instead of 1.15 or double spacing.
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Only use larger sizes and spacing when needed for emphasis or readability.
10. Remove Duplicated Content
Duplicate sentences, paragraphs, and sections greatly expand Word files. To avoid this:
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Use the Find tool to search for duplicate phrases and remove extras.
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Compare versions and drafts and consolidate unique content into one document.
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Delete copied content that is not needed instead of just leaving it in.
Putting It All Together
Use a combination of these tips to significantly compress Word documents. I recommend starting with pictures, removing formatting, and clearing revisions.
Aim to save 30% or more off your Word file sizes. Notice the faster performance and ease of sharing after trimming the fat.
How to Compress a Word File Online
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Drag and drop your Word file into the compressor.
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Choose “Basic compression” and continue.
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Click on “Export As” and choose the option “Word.”
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All done—The file is now in a much smaller size!
Compress your Word documents with Smallpdf in a few easy steps
Of course, you can skip the last conversion step and keep your file in PDF format, which is ideal for sharing documents you don’t want to be edited. Instead of choosing “Export As,” just download the compressed PDF version of your Word file via the download button.
Reduce the size of your Microsoft Word documents online without affecting their quality. Our tool is free for all, no registration or download.
Our online compression tool is quite versatile. It may be called a PDF compressor, but it can handle a whole bunch of other formats. You can compress pretty much any Microsoft Office document, including Word. It’s actually quite smart: The tool uses our conversion technology to turn your document into a PDF, making it easy to compress. You can then choose to export your file in your format of choice, including Word, Excel, PDF, or PPT.
How to Compress Microsoft Word File Size | Compress Pictures/Images in Word
How to compress a word file?
You just need to select the Word file (~50MB) you want to compress. You can use this service as much as you need, there is no limitation on daily usage. Works with all modern web browsers, such as Gogole Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, etc. All files are processed in the cloud, you do not need to install any software or plugin.
How do i compress a picture in word?
Select an image in your Word document. Click on any image on the page of your Word document to select it. This will open the “Format” menu in the blue menu bar at the top. On Mac this tab is labeled “Picture Format” at the top of Word. Click . Click the “Compress Pictures” button which resembles a photograph with blue arrows on each corner.
How do I reduce the size of a Word document?
However, embedded fonts will increase your document file size. Go to File > Options > Save. Make sure that Embed fonts in the file is not selected. If you do embed fonts, select Embed only the characters used in the document (best for reducing file size) and Do not embed common system fonts. Learn how to reduce the size of your Word documents.
How do I Make my Word document bigger?
Another tactic that may just come into play here is that you should insert pictures into Word as media objects instead of simply copying and pasting them on here. It has been observed that the file size is smaller when the former is done. Embedded fonts can also contribute to larger file sizes, so disabling the option to do so can be helpful.
