Quickly Reduce the File Size of a Picture or Word Document Containing Pictures

The JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a file format that compresses pictures.  If you save a picture that has a different file extension (such as .BMP, .GIF, or .TIFF) as a .JPG the picture will compress and the file size will be smaller.

Here's how to compress a single picture that is not a JPEG:

1. Open the picture in any picture program such as Google's Picasa or Window's Paint.
2. Click File > Save As
3. Change the file save as type to .JPG
4. Click Save.

To compress pictures in a Microsoft Word document:

1. Open the Word document that contains pictures/graphics to compress.
2. Double-click on any picture within the document.
3. Follow instructions based on your version of MS Word:
1. Word 2007-2010:  click "Compress Pictures" on the Picture Tools tab, deselect "Apply to selected picture only" (2007) or "Apply only to this picture" (2010), and then click OK.
2. Word 2003: In the Format Picture dialog box on the Picture tab, click Compress. Select radio button Apply to: "All pictures in document"; click OK; click Apply; click OK to close the Format Pictures dialog box.

To create a "Compressed Folder" to attach to an email with files inside, see my Blog Archive from June 1, 2009.