Word 97 - inserting jpg causes document size problem

[Craig D. Eaton]

When I insert JPG images into Word 97 documents (insert menu, picture, from
file), the document file size increases dramatically. For instance,
inserting a 100 kb jpg into a new document can result in a document size of
~900 kb. I have researched this on Microsoft's web site and found
information that Exif data in JPGs, which is commonly created by digital
cameras, can cause Word 97 and Word 97 SR-1 similar size problems.
Microsoft's resolution was to install SR-2, which supposedly fixed the
problem of inserting JPGs with Exif data. I have installed SR-2, but my
exploding file size problem remains.

I have tried inserting the same pictures in different formats (TIFF and PNG)
as well, but those formats had larger file sizes and don't compress as well.
I also would like to keep the process of inserting images into Word
documents as simple as possible, as my co-workers follow my lead on how to
use Word for our reports. So, converting the images to different formats,
or changing compression options, or stripping the Exif data are not really
options.

Can you help me figure out what is going on? I feel like I have hit a brick
wall here and I really need to get my document file sizes down for server
storage space reasons.

Thanks in advance,

Craig Eaton
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Anne Troy]

Brick: Insert the file. Cut it. Eidt-Paste special--as a picture (JPG
preferred if available). That's it... Do that AFTER you resize!
**** Hope it helps! ****

~Dreamboat
Excel VBA Certification Coming Soon!
www.VBAExpress.com/training/
www.Brainbench.com Word Test Developer 2000,2002,2003
********************************

 

[Margaret Aldis]

Hi Craig

Depending on how you insert and what your file-application associations are,
Word sometimes inserts bitmaps as embedded objects - this results in really
huge file sizes, especially if you resize the picture, and can also cause
problems if the file is opened on another machine.

This may not be your problem, but you can easily check whether it has
happened by viewing file codes - if you have an object it will show {EMBED
....}

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Craig has stated that he is using Insert | Picture | From File and that
these are JPEGs.

 

[CAndersen (Kimba)]

Isn't it true that Word 97 converts all inserted raster images to BMP
format? The JPEG format uses lossy compression to obtain small file sizes;
converted to BMP, the same file will be much, much larger because BMP is
completely uncompressed. The jump in file size of the resulting Word
document represents the size of the picture, considered in terms of pixels
x bit depth (number of colors).

If it is possible to reduce the physical size of the picture (i.e., from
1024x768 to 640x480) or to reduce the number of colors (i.e., from 16
million colors [24 bits per pixel] to 256 colors [8 bits per pixel]) there
will be a dramatic reduction in file size of the Word document.

This does involve time-consuming extra steps, but since Word does not keep
a JPEG picture in its native format, the only other way around the problem
would be to buy more storage space for the server.

 

[Margaret Aldis]

Hi Suzanne

Trouble is, I don't think this behaviour is very easy to predict. I've only
seen it in documents (generally ballooned to enormous sizes) coming from
other people, but they always tell me they 'didn't do anything special' to
make it occur ;-)

I believe the key factor is probably the file type - application association
in the operating system (I think Picture It! was the problem in the last
example I had). That was certainly occurring with JPEGs, but I'm not sure if
using Insert > Picture would avoid the accidental object embedding. I'm
fairly sure that drag 'n drop or copy from Windows Explorer is a way to get
it, as well as the more obvious copy and paste from Paint, or Insert >
Object.

Thought it was worth a quick check on the field codes, anyway.

 

[RobertVA]

Try activating the "link to file" AND "save with document" checkboxes on
the right side of the insert picture from file dialog. I just inserted a
91 KB aproximately 800 X 600 jpg into a Word 97 document and the
resulting word document file is only 109 KB. It even opened in Wordpad.
It still shows the graphic after emailing it and moving the original
graphic to another folder with Windows Explorer.