OK, so I know it depends on what computer someone is working on, but, generally, would a 4Mb Word file (created in Word 2016) be likely to slow peoples computers down as they edit text and artwork colors?

How big would a file have to be before it starts to make an average computer start to run slow assuming there are no big issues with the computer to start with?



Thanks for any advice.

This depends not only on the computer but on what other software the person has running. I just checked my task manager and I currently have more than 100 processes running.

Images will bloat a file size.

Docx or doc file, the latter will usually be larger.

Perhaps as important, for a Word file with a lot of text, is whether the file is formatted using Styles. Here is my report of a test done about five years ago:

"I just had occasion to edit a 100-page document that was created without using styles. It was formatted completely with direct formatting. Each page ended with a page break.

"Each time it had to be saved, the save took more than 60 seconds, during which time Word was frozen.


"A similar-sized document formatted using Styles takes less than 3 seconds for me to save. When a page break must be forced, instead of using a manual page break, the paragraph to begin the new page is formatted using a style that has "page break before" paragraph formatting.

"This difference was due entirely to the document being directly formatted - a much higher level of complexity. Each paragraph mark in a directly-formatted paragraph carries with it up to fifty different formatting commands. When formatted using a style, that paragraph mark will carry with it one command - use this style!"

Understanding Styles in Microsoft Word

Wow, thanks Charles! So the other processes running, would they be automatic things the computer does in the background or would they include having browser tabs and/or the likes of Photoshop open?

I had no idea about styles vs direct formatting so I'll go and learn a bit now. The files I'm making would be two invitation cards laid out on one page with a small amount of text and some graphics made up of freeform shapes and lines. It seems to be the graphics that are eating up the Mb's.

I saw someone elses file and their artwork was able to be edited using color fill/outline etc... It was quite a detailed lace border and when I looked at the artwork layer in the selection pane it was called an 'auto shape'.

In another of her files the artwork was called an 'office art object'. Again I have no idea what those formats are or how they're created. I've googled loads but nothing seems to come up about it.

Have you any idea how these would have been created?


Thank you so much for your help!

A 4Mb Word document is trivial. Word can handle files of up to 512Mb in size, with up to 32Mb of text. Of course, such a file will perform slowly.

Large amounts of graphics (especially if they have more resolution than you need for printing) and large 'autofit' tables will adversely affect editing performance and documents with lots of links to other files will open slowly (especially over a slow network).

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks Paul!

I'm just checking out others selling on Etsy where I've just started selling and their files tend to be no more than about 2Mb so I was wondering if there's a reason for that. Maybe I'm missing something. I think there might be a Mb limit per listing so that might explain it.

Do you know anything about 'auto shapes' or 'microsoft art objects' by any chance?

With a small amount of text, styles would have little impact on processing speed. Using them is still a very good idea.

As for what is open, any application showing up in the task bar is obviously an open process. Most, though, are behind the scenes. Take a look on your own computer using the Task Manager. (Best to not close tasks if you do not know what they are doing, though.)

As for how various objects are created, take a look at your Insert tab. Play around. I do not use Word as a graphics program much. It has powerful tools but is not as easy as using a real drawing program. Most of my graphics editing is done in SnagIt Editor (which is still not a full-blown drawing program).

The reason to use smaller files is likely bandwidth and/or web storage limitations/charges.

Thanks, I feel like I'm on a steep learning curve but I learn something new every time I come onto this forum and ask a question.

I'll go and play around with the 'Insert' tab some more and maybe put the question out there more specifically to see if anyone else has come across these formats.

Many thanks!