More and more website creators are using WebP image formats on their images on websites. The advantages are huge in terms of maintaining quality while vastly reducing file size. This helps their search engine page ranking enormously as Google and other search engines reward pages for loading quickly.
When using images from websites to in your PowerPoint presentations however, you will discover that these images cannot be copied and pasted in as with other, longer established file formats such as JPEGs and PNG files.
Methods Of Inserting WebP Files into PowerPoint
Instructions in Method 2 will also apply to other applications such as Word, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
Method 1: Save & Insert
The Commonly Recommended Way
If there is a WebP image on a website that you want in your PowerPoint presentation,
- Right-click and save the image to your computer.
- Within PowerPoint, from the Insert tab, choose Pictures and browse and select the file that you saved.
This method must be used if you want to maintain background transparency of the image that you want to use.
Method 2: Snippet Copy
Snippet Capture (Quicker way for images without transparent background).
Find the image on the web that you want and use the selective screen-shot method of copying and pasting.
In Windows this is called the Snippet Toolbar. It is accessed via the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + Shift + S
Once the snippet toolbar is active, click, drag and release mouse button to copy any desired part of the image.
This will be copied to your clipboard. Meaning you can jump over to your PowerPoint presentation and paste (CTRL + V) the image straight in.
Instructions For Copying WebP Images on a Mac
If you are using a Mac, use the similar snipping tool which can be accessed using the Mac keyboard shortcut Shift+Command+5. Then Command-V to paste.
Trial & Error
This may take a couple of attempts to get used to how the snipping tool works. But it is worth testing and trying out as this could save you a lot of time when you need to bring in images (.webp format) into your work or school projects.
Why Websites Are Switching To WebP
Further information: Let’s provide a more detailed reason why websites are using WebP files.
Higher Compression Efficiency: WebP uses advanced compression techniques, including both lossless and lossy compression, to achieve smaller file sizes compared to JPEG and PNG while maintaining image quality. This results in faster loading times for web pages and reduced data usage, which is especially important for mobile users.
Transparency Support: WebP supports both fully transparent and semi-transparent images, just like PNG. This allows for the creation of images with smooth edges and variable transparency levels.
Animated Images: WebP also supports animated images, similar to GIFs but with better compression and quality. This makes it a versatile format for creating small animations that load quickly.
Progressive Loading: WebP images can be loaded progressively, which means that a low-resolution version of the image can be displayed first, followed by higher-resolution details as the image continues to load. This provides a better user experience, particularly on slower network connections.
Browser Support: While initially, WebP had limited browser support, major browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge have added support for the format. This increased adoption has encouraged web developers to use WebP images more widely.
But Mainly It’s To Increase Page Load Speed (which improves SEO)
Google’s Influence: WebP was developed by Google, and since Google has a significant influence on web technologies, its endorsement and support have contributed to the format’s popularity.
Conversion Tool For WebP
There are various tools available that allow you to convert existing JPEG and PNG images to the WebP format. There are many websites that allow you to upload and convert image formats.
This is fine if it’s a one-off project, however if you have to regularly convert image formats, I recommend installing Irfanview.
This is a light-weight tool which can run almost all image conversions. This tool even allows you to batch-convert multiple images at the same time rather than individually.
Once you have installed Irfanview, head back to their support site and install all available plugins. Here is the link for all Irfanview Plugins. This will allow you to either individually or batch convert any image type.
Example: Try It Out Now
Below are two images of a puppy. Both are saved as WebP image format. The first is a straight picture with background, the second has a transparent background.
Once you click on the image, use Win + Shift + S
Select the part, or all of the image that you want and go to PowerPoint and paste (Ctrl + V) it straight in.
If you require the image to maintain it’s transparent background, you have to save the image and then insert into PowerPoint from saved files.
Here is a random photo of a pie and a sausage roll. Try Win + Shift + S to select just the part that you need.
Accompanying Video Instructions
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