Instructable: Using Microsoft Powerpoint for making instructables

[Leo Nguyen]

Funny as the title sounds, it's actually very intuitive, and simple to use. Those who don't have Photoshop, or any image editor, to use, yet, have Microsoft Office software suite, you're golden.

I'm using Microsoft Office 2010 for demonstration, but it's the same for MS Office 2003, 2007, and 2010.

Fly Master Dick graciously provided me an instructable to use for my instructable.

1. Create your own instructable to your heart content. This is an 11 slides Powerpoint Presentation. The size of each slide is 11 inches x 8.5 inches. That does that translate to? MASSIVE SIZE. 11 slides presentation with all the written info turns out to be 107 megabytes. So, how can you turn the presentation slides into images and shrink them for posting? Let's start. Make sure to save your presentation at this point and give it a title.

2. Once done with your instructable, click the FILE menu option at the top left side of your Powerpoint software. Then click the SAVE AS option just below the FILE option.

3. It will ask you where to save, and what type of file type. So, make sure you find a suitable location to save the file to get easy access to. My suggestion, select your DESKTOP. No need to create a folder. It will create a folder for you based on the file name you've given to your instructable. At the bottom of this SAVE AS screen, you'll see the SAVE AS FILE TYPE. Select the option as JPEG. Why? It will make the file as small as it can. Now, click the SAVE button to continue.

4. It will ask you if you want to save ALL your slides, or just the slides you're currently viewing. Select EVERY SLIDE.

5. Once you click the SAVE button, it will take a bit of time to turn massive page size slide-photos into smaller image files. If you click on the CANCEL button, ENTER key, or even the SPACEBAR key, the conversion will stop. So..hands off! Get yourself a beer..or a glass of wine. I got myself a few See's Candies in the conversion of the slides to images, adding to my lovehandles.

6. Once done, it will display a message that each slide has been named, and added into the labelled folder the same as the file name you've given your instructable.

7. Now, open up your folder that the slides have been saved into. The original Powerpoint Presentation file was 107 megabytes. That's about 9.7 megabytes per slide. Now, after the slides have been extracted, and converted into an image, each slide that has been turned into a compressed image is less than 100 kilobyte. What does that mean? 107 megabytes file just got shrunken into less than 1 megabyte in total. Why? Because the image has been turned from a 11 inches x 8 inches roughly into a 5 inches x 3 inches medium clarity, perfect for posting onto websites.

I'll create an instructable on how to compress higher resolution, large photo files, into smaller files in one go.

[dick tabbert]

Leo you know I'm in and thanks Buddy.

[Leo Nguyen]

You're more than welcome.

[carl hendrix]

I definitly like that idea Leo!!   let's see what you have pix of!!

[Leo Nguyen]

Yeah..about that Carl..It has been a long weekends, and you don't want to see what I have as a picture, either of myself or my creation. Noooooo sireeeee..

[carl hendrix]

litle buddy-- i know you have been working way to long and hard at your job!!  take a BREAK!!!!!!    have a margarita!!  i am!!  LOL!!    

[Leo Nguyen]

Working hard? Nah. Hardly working. Partying a bit too hard. I believe I may have killed over half of my remaining brain cells. I'm starting to lose a few distant past memory.

[Slip Sinker]

we used to use powerpoint at work a lot ... i loved it. great program. could you recommend something for android or free for windows that would do the same... i'm currently downloading star office but its been years since ive used that... ive been trying to stay off the laptop as much as possible and using the tablet... the powerpoint program used to be very expensive

[JBplusThuy]

Libre Office (the wholly Free version of OpenOffice.org, which IIRC is itself descended from Star Office) is free/Free for Linux, Mac, and that other operating system. Not sure what to recommend for Android or iOS.

You could try checking for Android Versions of Libre Office/OpenOffice.org; since it's FOSS (Free/Open Source Software), all that's needed to get an Android port is the interest of a person or persons with the time and ability to produce a port. That said, porting Libre Office to Android might be a lot more complicated than porting it from Linux to those other operating systems was.

[Leo Nguyen]

Good point out Jonathan. If anyone don't have MS Office suite to use, I'll be glad to create instructables for those other free application as well. Just chime in, and I'll create a set of instruction for whichever software it is. Ken touched based on the Android apps a well, which I also use. Meme generator is good. Tag editors are also good. Plenty of ads on the higher editors that drive you insane, but good enough to do what you want to do. I can create instructions on those as well. Just need people to chime in, or I can find one that's suitable to use.

[Leo Nguyen]

No kidding. Of course, I don't buy my software from Microsoft. Waste of money. I just use their distribution licensing, and get absolute no help if something goes wrong..yeah..like something actually go wrong with Microsoft..right?

[Slip Sinker]

thank you Leo! that is an awesome write up... i like that word "instructable"

[Leo Nguyen]

You're more than welcome Ken. You're a master at mobile devices and their apps. You should be posting your tricks and tips as well.