There are several methods to compress an Excel spreadsheet and reduce its file size. Compressing an Excel Spreadsheet can help free up disk space, make the file easier to store and manage, and allow it to be uploaded more quickly. It can also help to reduce loading and recalculate times in Excel. Some of the ways to compress an Excel spreadsheet include reducing file size by refreshing links, clearing unused cells, deleting conditional formatting rules, compressing images, disabling calculation and macros, and zipping files.
Refreshing Links
Refreshing links can help reduce file size and increase performance in an Excel spreadsheet. To do this, select Data > Connections in the ribbon. From here, you can select each connection one by one and click Refresh All. This will update any used external data sources and reduce the file size.
Clearing Unused Cells
Excel is known for automatically filling blank cells with zero values. This can increase the overall file size as every cell still needs to carry a numerical value. To clear these unused cells, select all cells via ctrl + A and then Home > Find & Select > Go To Special. In the Go To Special window, select Blanks and then click OK. This will highlight all of the blank cells, which can then be selected and deleted. For extra savings you can delete the rows and columns containing these cells.
Deleting Conditional Formatting Rules
Conditional Formatting Rules can impact the spreadsheet file size if they are not used efficiently. These rules are great for providing visual cues within data, but they can add unnecessary size if they are set over a large number of cells or multiple sheets. To delete them, select Home > Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules. In the dialogue box that opens, you can select individual formatting rules and then delete them.
Compressing Images
Images are notorious for increasing files size in Excel and other applications. This is because they often contain large amounts of data that need to be stored. To reduce their size, you can compress them by selecting them and then going to Format > Compress Pictures. In this window, you can adjust the resolution and compression of the image to reduce its file size.
Disabling Calculation and Macros
If you’re not making use of calculations and macros, they can increase the file size without providing any value. To disable calculations, go to the Formulas tab and then select the Calculate Options drop-down. Here, you can choose to manually recalculate or switch off automatic calculations. Macros can be disabled by going to Developer > Macros, selecting them one by one and then clicking Disable.
Zipping Files
The final way to compress an Excel spreadsheet is to zip the file. This is a widely used technique and utilises software such as WinZip or 7Zip to compress and package files into a single archive. Zipping files can reduce file sizes by up to 70% and can significantly reduce the time taken to upload documents. To zip an Excel file, you must first save it and then open the preferred archiving software. Select the files that you want to zip, choose the ‘Add to Archive’ option and then select the compression type and destination folder.
By utilising one or more of these methods, you can successfully compress an Excel spreadsheet and reduce its file size. Doing this can free up disk space, make the file easier to store and manage, and allow it to be uploaded more quickly. It can also help to reduce loading and recalculate times in Excel.