Business Communications & Etiquette»
How to Minimize a PowerPoint
by James T Wood
Minimizing has existed since the launch of the first window-based operating system.
1 Resize Photos for a Web Upload
2 Change the Width of an Office Ribbon
3 Prevent PowerPoint From Expanding Pictures
4 Crossfade on VLC
Presentation expert Garr Reynolds is a leading proponent of minimalism in PowerPoint design. He says, "The slides themselves were never meant to be the 'star of the show' ... people came to hear you." Of course there are many ways you can minimize a PowerPoint beyond applying the design techniques of Reynolds' Presentation Zen. For starters, you can click the line button in the upper right corner of the PowerPoint window to minimize it to the Windows taskbar. Beyond presentation design and basic Windows navigation, you also can minimize PowerPoint file sizes, minimize the ribbon or blank a running presentation.
Reduce the size of a large PowerPoint file by compressing the pictures within it. Click to select a picture in your open PowerPoint presentation -- any picture will do. Click on the "Format" tab on the ribbon and click "Compress Pictures." If you see only icons, not labels, choose the button that looks like a picture with arrows pushing in from the four corners. Uncheck "Apply Only to This Picture" in the dialog box that appears. Choose a resolution for your output: The higher the dots per inch number, the larger the file will be. When you're done, click "OK." Save the PowerPoint file to finish compressing the images.
Compress media files embedded in your presentation. Embedded audio and video files in a PowerPoint presentation increase the file's size. Click "File" and then "Info." You'll see a Media Size and Performance section at the top of the window if you have any audio or video embedded in the presentation. Click "Compress Media" and choose one of the quality levels. Note that the amount spaced used by the media files is shown in the Media Size and Performance section and the total size of the PowerPoint file appears on the right side of the window. Save the file when you're done.
Minimize the Microsoft Office ribbon to get more work space in PowerPoint. The ribbon replaced the old file menu starting with Microsoft Office 2007. If you don't like the ribbon or you just need the space for working on your PowerPoint, you can minimize it. Click the arrow in the upper right corner of the PowerPoint window; click it again to expand the ribbon. You can press "Ctrl-F1" to minimize and expand the ribbon from your keyboard. You can access the ribbon commands using keyboard shortcuts; tap "Alt" and then press the key indicated on the ribbon for the command you want to use (more information in Resources).
Blank a slide show that's running in presentation mode with either the "B" or "W" keys. You can't minimize a running PowerPoint presentation the same way you can when it's a normal window. But, if you need to blank out the screen for a moment while you continue speaking, you can use the easy-to-remember keyboard shortcuts. Pressing "B" makes the screen go black and pressing "W" makes the screen go white. Tap the key again to return to your slide show or press the spacebar or arrow key to keep going with your presentation.
Minimize an active window by pressing the Windows key and the down arrow.
Minimize all windows by pressing the Windows key and "M."
Tap "Esc" to exit presentation mode without going to the end of the slide show.
Microsoft Office: Minimize the Ribbon
Microsoft Office: Compress Your Media Files
Microsoft Office: Reduce the File Size of a Picture
Garr Reynolds: Top Ten Slide Tips
Microsoft Office: Use the Keyboard to Work with Ribbon Programs
James T Wood is a teacher, blogger and author. Since 2009 he has published two books and numerous articles, both online and in print. His work experience has spanned the computer world, from sales and support to training and repair. He is also an accomplished public speaker and PowerPoint presenter.
T, James. "How to Minimize a PowerPoint." Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/minimize-powerpoint-40316.html. Accessed 19 July 2019.
T, James. (n.d.). How to Minimize a PowerPoint. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/minimize-powerpoint-40316.html
T, James. "How to Minimize a PowerPoint" accessed July 19, 2019. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/minimize-powerpoint-40316.html
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