One of the major problems that most computer users face is a lack of storage space. Not just Windows users but Mac users are also facing this issue. If you want to save space on your Mac, then reduce the size of large files.
Another reason to make a file smaller is to upload it to the web or send it by email. No matter what the reason is, you can easily reduce the size in multiple ways. Let’s jump into how to reduce a file size on Mac computers.
Common Way to Reduce File Size
Select File and then Reduce File Size from the File menu. Choose the adjustments from various options available. You can remove trimmed sections of any audio and movies. Other adjustment options include scaling down large images, preserving the original format, and high efficiency (HEVC).
Increase the movie’s resolution by setting it to the maximum value using Movie Quality. Tap Reduce This File or Reduce a Copy. Let’s move on to the alternative ways to reduce file size for various file formats.
Compress File Size
Methods to make the file size smaller depending on the content, file type, or format, and if file editing is possible or not. Photo or video file sizes can become smaller by reducing their resolution.
Another way to reduce image size is to compress it or change it to another format. For example, you can reduce JPG size by compressing the file or saving a TIFF as a JPG file. To reduce audio file size, export it to MP3 format.
Compress a File in Finder
To compress a large file on a Mac, navigate to the Finder option. Go to the File and locate the file or folder you want to compress. Right-click on the selected file and click on the Compress button from the drop-down menu. Wait until the file is compressed.
After compression, you will get a new version of the file with a .zip extension. However, it will be available in the same folder with the same name.
Make PDF File Smaller
If you want to reduce a PDF file size, the process is quite simple. Use the Preview app and open the PDF file by clicking twice on its top. Control-click the required PDF file and select Open With. Then, choose Preview if it is not.
Tap the File menu in Preview and select Export. Click Quartz Filter in the dialog box and select Reduce File Size. Enter a new name for the compressed file and select the location to save it. Tap Save to save smaller files.
Resize the Image File
Reducing the file size of the picture is possible by resizing it. You can use Preview to make the image file size smaller. Simply, open a photo in the Preview app by control-clicking on the image in Finder.
Tap on the File menu and select Export. Choose a jpeg and reduce the picture quality using the slider. To adjust height and width in the dimension boxes, click Adjust Size in the Tools option. At last, tap Save.
Reduce in QuickTime
Use QuickTime Player to reduce a video file of high definition resolution. Control-click on the file in Finder. Select Open In and QuickTime Player. Tap File and click Export As. Select a resolution lower than the existing resolution.
Type a file name and select the location to save it. Tap the menu and select Smaller File Size. To save the file, click Save. You can also make the video smaller by removing audio or video if not required.
Reduce in iMovie
Apart from QuickTime Player, you can use iMovie to reduce the size of a video file. Simply open iMovie and then click on Create New. Tap the Movie option and click File. Hit the Import Media button to import the file.
Tap File, click Share, and then File. Now, adjust the quality or resolution as required to reduce the size. Click Next and then save the reduced video by tapping Save.
Reduce PowerPoint File
Alongside images and videos, you can make your PowerPoint file smaller. For this, click File and then tap Compress Pictures. Next, either choose to resize a selected picture or all the images.
Tick the box named ‘Delete cropped areas of pictures if you want to remove the trimmed sections. Select the preferred resolution and click OK. The compressed PowerPoint file will load faster. Alternatively, you can use a professional app.
The Conclusion
So, that’s all about how to reduce a file size on Mac. Which option do you think is simpler and most effective? If you are running out of space on your Mac, then reduce the file size.
First, find the large and old files, and then simply make them smaller as it helps in creating enough space for your new data.