How to Compress Excel Spreadsheets

Where developments like Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, etc. are taking over data, Excel is still the king of for many. Analysts around the world are still using the software in making bold data-driven decisions.

So, as spreadsheets are chunked with data, they can easily size up - resulting in breaking the size cap. That’s where you feel the need to compress excel files. So in this piece, we’ll help you do just that.

Not only that, we’ll walk you through the Excel 101s followed by a detailed section about why you need to reduce excel file size. So without further ado, let’s get started.

Excel 101

What Are Excel Spreadsheets?

Excel spreadsheets are a file type in which you’ll find cells in the form of rows and columns. You can enter data in them and then arrange, calculate, and sort it with the help of built-in software features like formulas, functions, references, formatting, etc.

The word excel got popular after one of the famous tech-giants, Microsoft released their software for spreadsheets - known as Microsoft Excel. Since then, people use spreadsheets interchangeably with excel as the program is officially recognized by everyone.

Long-story-short, Excel spreadsheets are all about data. From recording to amending, visualizing, and amending, you get to do all sorts of stuff with excel files.

How to View & Edit Excel Files?

You can view and edit Excel/Spreadsheet files using the renowned Microsoft Excel software. However, there are also some other programs that let you do the job. The following are some of them:

Where Excel Files Are Used?

Excel files are used wherever a person, group or an organization requires the need of storing, organizing and analyzing data. From accounting information to payroll details and weather information, you can store any type of data in excel files. Commonly, excel spreadsheets are used in offices, educational centers, etc. to store, organize, manipulate, track and analyze data.

Why Compress Excel Spreadsheets?

We feel the need to compress excel spreadsheets because of various reasons. Let’s find out some of them.

Firstly, converting and compressing an excel spreadsheet into a PDF locks the content inside. A person with the file can’t easily unlock it and make the changes - no disruption of the original data.

Next up, excel files can get too big too quickly. This limits their flexibility and doesn’t allow a person to fluidly share them over the internet with anyone else. There’s another con of a large excel file - it gets slow and sluggish to work with.

Converting and compressing an excel file to PDF also makes it presentable. Think about a scenario where your boss asks you to include the data from an excel file in the upcoming presentation. What will you do? It would be foolish to add a screenshot or entirely open the file. Instead, conversion and compression to PDF would be your best bet.

Here’s the summary of what would you want to reduce excel file size by converting and compressing it to PDF:

Why PDF?

So, you might be thinking, why PDF as the final extension destination? Your question is valid and we are glad you asked! Well, we are converting an excel file to PDF and then compressing it to make it viewable, shareable, and secure.

Unlike a raw excel file, the PDF format is secure, compact, convenient, multi-dimensional, and flexible. Indeed, with a normal spreadsheet file you can do all the editing wonders. However, you have a tonne of limitations and concerns when it comes to exchanging and presenting it.

How to Compress Excel With PDFBear

Finally, we have arrived at the most awaited spot. Now, we’ll learn how to compress an excel file.

For the process, we’ll be using two of our in-house tools - Excel to PDF and Compress PDF. Likewise, the guide is available in two parts. Firstly, we’ll convert an excel file to PDF. Then, we’ll compress it.

Part 1: Convert Excel to PDF

1.Visit the official website of PDFBear and click on Excel to PDF.

2.Next, click on the blue Select Files… button.

3.Select the excel file and open it to upload on PDFBear.

4.Wait for the website to convert your excel file to PDF.

5.Once the conversion is done, you’ll see a blue Download button. Click on it to save your new excel-converted-to-PDF file.

Part 2: Compress Excel

1.Click on the PDFBear logo on the top left side of your screen or once again visit the official website. Then, scroll down and select Compress PDF.

2.On the next screen, click on the blue Select Files… button.

3.Browse the file you have saved in the previous step and open it.

4.Next, you’ll see two compression options - Best Compression and Strong Compression. Select the first option as it’s free and best to reduce excel file size.

5.Click on the blue CHOOSE OPTION button to save your choice.

6.To save your newly converted and compressed excel file, click on the blue Download button.

Final Words

That’s how you compress and convert an excel spreadsheet into a portable, flexible and shareable file type. Use the two free tools available for everyone on PDFBear and compress your spreadsheets today!

Like how we are making the compression process of excel files easy? Don’t forget to check out our other tools, you’ll love them too! Also, consider the PRO version of PDFBear as it has got a lot of benefits for students, office workers and pretty much anyone who handles docs on a daily basis.