Mail Call: Ship Your PowerPoint Shows Without Worry!

Have you ever tried to e-mail a PowerPoint show? It can be a challenge. Two common problems can cause frustration, the size problem and the font problem.

The Size Problem

As a PowerPoint presentation grows, its file size can balloon up faster than a Macy's parade float. Though many people have high-speed internet connections--which can easily handle these King Kong-sized files--their e-mail systems often let them down. Most e-mail systems still only allow attachments as large as 5 MB. That's a drop in the bucket for most PowerPoint shows!

Many people opt to break their deck into parts. Then they send them in a series of e-mails. This can lead to problems. If one section doesn't make it through, the show isn't complete. As well, this piece-meal approach can cut into the power of your presentation.

It's not well-known, but if you save a version of your original PowerPoint presentation with a different name, chances are it will be smaller in size. Even so, the file can still be quite large.

There is inexpensive software available to automatically reduce the size of PowerPoint files. This process, called "optimizing," reduces the resolution of images in the presentation, discards uneccesary information, and generally "cleans" up the file. Usually, there is no visual difference in the optimized file version, but it can be as much as 75% smaller! At Presentation Tree, we use NX Powerlite, which offers a free trial version for download.

What if you've optimized your file, and it's still too big to e-mail?

There are many web-based services that allow you to upload a large file to their secure site, that can then be downloaded by others. At Presentation Tree, we use YouSendIt, which offers a FREE "lite" service, or charges $9.99 per month to send files up to 2GB in size.

The Font Problem

Your computer is loaded with a bevy of fonts. They look great on your screen, and dandy in your PowerPoint presentation. You send the show to a colleague. When they open it on their screen, it looks like it was designed by the editors of WIRED magazine while binging on Twinkies and Jolt Cola!

What's the hang-up? If the recipient's computer doesn't have the same fonts installed, it will substitute another font--usually one that looks ugly and wrong. It can ruin the touches you've finessed into your presentation.

One common solution is to use common fonts. Everyone's computer has Arial or Times New Roman. The only problem: this can dull down your presentation. We all see those fonts daily. They don't perk us up, or intrigue us.

Don't fear--your show need not be boring! You can save your presentation with the fonts embedded. It's easy to do. When you choose SAVE AS, in the FILE menu, you'll have the option to embed your show's fonts. This loads the show with the font files from your computer's hard drive. What looks good on your screen will please your clients and colleagues when you send them the show. Choose FILE > SAVE> TOOLS; then choose EMBED TRUETYPE FONTS.

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