Special Edition Using Microsoft® Word 2000

Minimizing Graphics File Size

How big can a Word document with graphics be? The answer is "very." Some images, especially high-resolution bitmapped photographs, can be over a megabyte by themselves. It's easy to imagine how large a file with many images can get. This can be a problem: Larger files tend to run more slowly, and less reliably. One way to keep file sizes manageable is to include links to graphics, rather than graphics themselves. By linking, you ensure that updates to the image in its source program are reflected in your Word document.

To insert a link to a picture rather than the picture itself, follow these steps. Choose Insert, Picture, From File; then browse to and select the picture you want. Click the drop-down arrow next ...