You’ll find this setting at File > Info > Properties > Advanced Properties. That’s 4.5 times the size of the original file-for nothing. In our 721KB test document, turning this option on increased the file size to 3247 KB. These days, File Explorer can do this on its own and doesn’t need help from Word, but the option is still there in your document. Stop Storing a Thumbnail for the Documentīack in the day, Word let you store a thumbnail image of the document so that Windows could show you a preview in File Explorer. Of course, there are drawbacks to linking as well as benefits, so be sure to read that article to understand them before you do this. You won’t save all of it, because the linked spreadsheet will still add some size, but your document will be much smaller with a link than a full embed. If you can link to the spreadsheet instead of embedding it, you’ll save yourself most of the size of the Excel file.

We recently showed you how to embed or link an Excel spreadsheet in a Word document (and you can do this with other files, like PowerPoint presentations or Visio diagrams, as well). RELATED: How to Set the Default Font in Word Stop Embedding Other Files If You Can So yes, stop embedding fonts in your document. Even with “Do not embed common system fonts” turned on (which means fonts like Calibri, Arial, Courier New, Times New Roman, and so on aren’t included), the file is still almost 1.3 MB bigger. If you have font embedding turned on and have the “Do not embed common system fonts” option turned off, the difference in file size is almost 2 MB. You might think that this wouldn’t make much difference, but you’d be wrong.

So why would you want to waste space in your file by embedding the fonts? Stop this happening by going to File > Options > Save and turning off the “Embed fonts in the file” option. Unless you’re using an unusual font from a galaxy far, far away, it’s almost certain that anyone with whom you share your document will be able to read it using their copy of Word (or a free alternative like Libre Office).

How to convert file sizes