Reducing document size for online submission
Introduction
The maximum file size that can be submitted to Turnitin is 40 megabytes. If you have created a large office document that includes images and diagrams, it may be necessary to reduce the documents file size so that it is under this limit. The added benefit of smaller file size is that the document will be faster to upload.
Images contained in Office documents are often in a higher resolution than necessary for viewing on screen. High-resolution images will have a corresponding large file size that affects a document's overall file size. The file size of these images can be reduced without significant loss in image quality.
This document describes how to check the file size of your document before submission and details some methods to reduce and optimise images if the document exceeds 40 megabytes.
Note: Make a copy of your original file BEFORE attempting any of the steps shown. Work ONLY with the copy.
How to check file size
How you check an Office document’s file size depends on what operating system you’re using i.e. Windows or Mac OS.
Note: File size is shown in either KB (Kilobytes) or MB (Megabytes). Remember that 1024 KB is equal to 1 MB.
Check file size in Windows
To check file size in Windows:
Navigate to your assignment file using the File Explorer.
Select the document. Right-click on the file to see the shortcut menu.
Select the Properties option.
In the Properties window that opens, look for Size (highlighted in red below). This shows the size of the document. In the example below, it is 66.9MB – too large to submit to Turnitin.
Check file size in Mac OS
To check file size in Mac OS:
Navigate to your assignment file using the Finder.
Select the document. Hold down the CTRL key and left click (or right-click) on the document to see the shortcut menu.
Select the Get Info option. Alternatively, select the document and press the CMD and I key to get info on the document.
In the Get Info windows that opens, look for Size (highlighted in red below). This shows the size of the document. In the example below, it is 70.2 MB – too large to submit to Turnitin.
Reduce the size of an Office file (Windows)
Microsoft Office comes with an option to reduce the size of all of the images in your document. Taking Word as an example:
With the document open in Word select File > Save As.
Select More options…
In the Save as dialogue box, select the Tools menu beside the Save button. This has been highlighted in red below.
From the Tools drop-down menu that appears, select the Compress Pictures… option.
In the Compress Pictures window, choose a lower Resolution.
Select the OK button
The above process can also be used to reduce the size of individual images and can be useful if some images need to be kept at a high resolution to show small details clearly.