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PowerPoint Minimizer

Page history last edited by Keith Restine 10 mos ago

PowerPoint Minimizer

Many instructors tend to use PowerPoint to present information in their online courses. Though a PowerPoint presentation is not always the best method for content display, they are still used. A problem with PowerPoint is that the files created are quite large, especially when they are longer than 10 slides or include multimedia elements.

A factor that an instructor has control over in an online course is file size. All things being equal, the smaller the file size, the faster the download. A 25 to 70MB file (usually PowerPoint slideshows) using Blackboard makes students complain of slow download times. A simple solution is to reduce the size of your PowerPoint slideshow.

Setting it Up.

Impatica for PowerPoint

Impatica for PowerPoint converts the PowerPoint file into a compressed format that is optimized for streaming over the Internet. TWU has Impatica for PowerPoint available by contacting the Instructional Design Specialist assigned to your college.

Other Tools.

Handy tools to compress PowerPoint include PPTminimizer ($40.00) (http://www.pptminimizer.com/),

Powershrink (http://www.sharewareconnection.com/powershrink.htm) or those listed here: http://www.topshareware.com/007005-3-1.htm

NOTE: These programs are not endorsed or reviewed by TWU Instructional Design.

To compress your PowerPoint slideshows using PPTminizer:

Open PPT Minimizer.

Click the “Open Presentations” button

Choose the PowerPoint file(s) you would like to optimize. You can select one slideshow to minimize or use the Add to List button to select multiple slideshows to minimize at the same time.

By default the optimized PPT file will be saved in the same folder as the original. If you want it saved in another folder, select the “…” button (appears under the “Optimized presentations” button, and choose the folder into which you want to save the optimized presentations.

If you select a different folder (not the source folder) into which to save the optimized file, you’ll see the “Add extension to Filenames” check box (found above the “…” button). Deselect if you do not ant the “(PPTminimizer)” suffix added to the filename.

Next you can choose your compression settings. The default “standard compression” is usually a good choice.

If you would like an even smaller file size then move the compression slider to “Strong Compression”. This setting may reduce your image quality and you should always check the optimized presentation when choosing “Strong Compression”. Further, if you find the images in your slideshow too pixilated using “Standard Compression,” lower the slider to use “Low Compression.”

Click the “Optimize Presentations” button.

If you are asked to confirm conversion of embedded objects, you should click the “yes” button in order to reduce file size. You will not be able to edit the embedded objects in the optimized file, but you can edit it in the original slideshow and run the file through the optimizer again when changes need to be made.

Once the progress bar reaches 100% your file has been optimized.

You’ll see three buttons: View Presentation(s), E-Mail Presentation(s) and Delete Presentation(s). Be sure to view your compressed slideshows to verify that they look satisfactory.

Next you are presented with the statistics of the optimization including how much spaced you saved. A typical slideshow with graphics can be reduced in size easily from 60% to 95%.