Comments on: Effects of Imported Images on Visio File Size

By: Visio Guy » Importing Images as Backgrounds for Scaled Drawings

Visio Guy » Importing Images as Backgrounds for Scaled Drawings — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:42:07 +0000

[...] Consider the format of your image before you import it. JPGs and PNGs are generally more efficient in the Visio file than are BMPs. More details here: Effects of Imported Images on Visio File Size [...]

By: eric c

eric c — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:41:40 +0000

hello Visio Guy,
I use this tip when a simple copy/paste don’t keep the transparency from ppt to vsd.

for some image, ctrl-c/v will be enough.
But for some others, transparency will be replaced by white color.

So when a ctr-v loose the transparency, I add an hidden element behind the source image and then I do a new ctrl-v of the 2 images.
and it works
don’t ask why

By: Neiyold

Neiyold — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:21:33 +0000

Something to keep in mind, when converting a Visio file to a DXF or DWG the image will not be processed correctly. Typically, the shapes are fine and convert with no issue, though I have not made any effort to extensively verify this. If you need the image, then your AutoCAD file will need post-editing. If you are working with company logos, then it is best to natively draw the logo in Viso. Then you also have the added bonus of being able to do fun things with the shape(s).

By: Boullinet » Archive du blog » Compress images in Visio

Boullinet » Archive du blog » Compress images in Visio — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:21:46 +0000

[...] This morning, I realized my Visio wireframe was taking longer and longer to save. Totally out of curiosity, and because I figured there may be a way to get more efficient savings, I thought about investigating on this. The marvellous thing with Internet is that it didn’t take me long, thanks to Visio guy: apparently confronted to the same issue, they ran a few tests about what Visio does with images. [...]

By: Visio Guy

Visio Guy — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:38:42 +0000

Hi YossiD,

Can you double-check that there are no “local” master shapes in the document’s stencil? This is often a place where bits get wasted in Visio.

Go to: File > Shapes > Show Document Stencil. This stencil holds copies of any master that have been dragged into Visio from other stencils.

Also, Visio generates a preview image that wastes space. You can turn this off under: File > Properties > Save Workspace check box.

Visio 2007 also has File > Remove Hidden Information dialog. This has a File Size Reduction tab that might be worth exploring.

By: Visio Guy

Visio Guy — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:28:31 +0000

@eric c,

Thanks for the tip. I wonder if your PowerPoint to Visio behavior will change if you do a Paste Special. Perhaps different formats will give you different results.

Also, when you say “image in PowerPoint”, are you specifically talking about bitmap images that have transparency? Or are you talking about any PowerPoint graphic in general?

By: YossiD

YossiD — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:45:46 +0000

Forgot to mention, size of an empty Word file is about 29 kB, so it’s clear that all of the bloat has to do with how Word handles Visio files that contain imported images.

By: YossiD

YossiD — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:42:02 +0000

I am using Visio 2003, but I generally save in Visio 2002 format so that others in the office who have not been upgraded can open my files.

As a technical writer using Word, I often have to place Visio diagrams in Word documents so I am more interested in what happens to the size of the Word document than the Visio file.

For this test I used a 213 kB png image extracted from a pdf file. I inserted the png image onto a blank Visio page using Insert>Picture, and saved it in the following 3 ways:

1. Save in Visio 2002 format
2. Save in Visio 2003 format
3. Save in visio 2003 format then resave in Visio 2002 format

Then I inserted each Visio file in a blank Word 2003 document, first by using Insert>Object and then using Copy/Paste from Visio to Word. The results are interesting. There are three numbers for each test:

a. Size of the Visio file
b. Size of the Word file with Visio inserted using Insert>Object
c. Size of Word file with Visio inserted using Copy/Paste

Test 1: Save in visio 2002 format
a. 2778 kB
b. 4618 kB
c. 3685 kB

Test 2: Save in Visio 2003 format
a. 245 kB
b. 1981 kB
c. 1987 kB

Test 3: Save in Visio 2003 format then resave in Visio 2002 format
a. 1840 kB
b. 1987 kB
c. 1987 kB

In the final analysis it seems that no mater what I do in Visio, the Word file comes out way fatter than the original graphic. Does anyone know a way to avoid this?

By: eric c

eric c — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:40:43 +0000

a stupid tip :
when there is a nice image with transparence in powerpoint.
if you cut/paste to visio :transparence is gone.

but if you cut/paste TWO images from ppt to visio : transparence is kept.

so, when there is a nice image in ppt :
- in PPT : I add a “empty” line behind “my” image (line with color=transparent)
- then, I copy my image + the empty line to visio.
and transparence is kept !

I guess you already knew this but for me it was cool when i accidentally discovered this.

By: Visio Guy

Visio Guy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:44:17 +0000

Hey Xman,

I’ve noticed a difference when copy/pasting an image into Visio, vs. importing the image. I haven’t seen your problem specifically, but I have seen oddities.

Try to see if you can Insert > Picture > From File… works better for you, instead of just pasting. You might have to save your image to a file first.

Good luck, and let us know!

- Chris

By: xman

xman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:31:04 +0000

Has anyone ever experienced the problem where you copy an image into Visio and it’s visible and everything appears to be fine. Then you save and close the file. Then reopen it. The image is still “there” (ctrl+a shows it being selected) but the images isn’t visible – it’s just transparent.

This seems to only happen to jpg and png. Bmp is fine.

By: Visio Guy

Visio Guy — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:40:27 +0000

Thanks Mark!

I had a feeling I was remembering something *awful* from the past when I started researching this one!

- Chris

By: Visio Guy » Blog Archive » Importing Images as Backgrounds for Tracing

Visio Guy » Blog Archive » Importing Images as Backgrounds for Tracing — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:36:08 +0000

[...] Effects of Imported Images on Visio File Size [...]

By: Mark Nelson

Mark Nelson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:32:24 +0000

Note that compression is available in Visio 2003 or later. Bitmaps were stored in all their bloated glory before that.

By: incubii

incubii — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:41:20 +0000

A tip for the PNG files. You can use an opensource program called PNG Crush to shrink the file down as much as possible. This will save you some disk space and may even improve the performance of the document as i have seen with many PNGs included. PNG Crush