PPT: Meaning of 24-bit Rendering Options for WMF Files (133080)

You can control how PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 handles 24-bit graphics when you save slides as Windows metafiles (WMF).

The Advanced tab in the Options dialog box makes the following options available:

   Render 24-bit Bitmaps at Highest Quality
      Export pictures:
         Best for Printing
         Best for On-Screen Viewing

To locate the Options dialog box, click Options on the Tools menu.

MORE INFORMATION

If you click Best For Printing in the Export Pictures section and save a slide that contains a 24-bit bitmap image as a Windows metafile, the bitmap is included in the WMF as a 24-bit (16,777,216 color) image.

If you click Best For On-Screen Viewing and then export the same slide, the 24-bit bitmap is converted to 8-bit color and included in the Windows metafile as a 256-color image.

NOTE: In most cases, there is very little difference between the ways a 24- bit color image and an 8-bit color image appear on screen. An 8-bit image takes much less time to display than a 24-bit image and about one-third the amount of disk space.

If you create a slide that has only a 24-bit color bitmap on it and export it once with each choice, you may find that the Best For Printing option gives you a WMF that is almost precisely three times larger than the WMF you create if you save the slide with the Best For On-Screen Viewing option enabled. The difference in size indicates an 8-bit versus a 24-bit image.

In addition, if you copy a PowerPoint slide and paste it into another application, 24-bit color bitmaps on the slide appear based on the Export Pictures options you selected. Therefore, a slide that contains a 24-bit color bitmap pastes into a Word document as a picture that contains an 8-bit color bitmap if you select the Best For On-Screen Viewing option.