Save a SmartArt graphic

When you save your Microsoft Office system document, SmartArt graphics are automatically saved with your document. However, if you want to work with your SmartArt graphic in an earlier version of Microsoft Office, you need to save your document in the file format of the earlier version. You can also convert your SmartArt graphic, or the Microsoft Office PowerPoint slide that contains your SmartArt graphic, to a separate file that you can embed or insert into any program that supports the Graphics Interchange Format (.gif), JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg), or Portable Network Graphics Format (.png) .What do you want to do?

Save your SmartArt graphic to edit in an earlier version of Office

Save your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format

Save your PowerPoint slide in a graphics file format

Save your SmartArt graphic to edit in an earlier version of Office

Important If you want to modify your SmartArt graphic by using an earlier version of Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Word, or Microsoft Office PowerPoint, you must split your SmartArt graphic into individual shapes and then manually regroup the shapes to work with them as a whole. After you split your SmartArt graphic into individual shapes, you cannot convert the shapes to a SmartArt graphic, even if you later open the document in a program in the Office release. Each shape that contains text is further divided into two shapes that are grouped: the shape and its properties, and one that contains text.

1. Open the Office release document that contains the SmartArt graphic.
2. Select all of the shapes in the SmartArt graphic. To do so, press CTRL+A, or click the first shape, and then press and hold CTRL while you click the additional shapes.
3. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Cut.

   

4. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow under Paste, and then click Paste Special.
5. In the Paste Special dialog box, in the As list, select Microsoft Office Graphic Object, and then click OK.
6. Click the SmartArt graphic border, and then press DELETE to delete the border.
7. Click the Microsoft Office Button , point to Save As, and then click the earlier version file format that you want.
8. Select the options in the Save As dialog box that you want, and then click Save.

Notes:

• You can also save the SmartArt graphic in a new blank document.
• If you applied an effect to your SmartArt graphic, such as a glow, a reflection, soft edges, or an inner shadow, your shapes may appear in the document as a picture that cannot be edited. Remove the effect, and then repeat the procedure above.
• For more information about saving worksheets, presentations, or documents to use with earlier versions of Microsoft Office programs, see Use Office Excel with earlier versions of Excel, Use Office PowerPoint to open presentations created in earlier versions of PowerPoint, and Create a document to be used by previous versions of Word.

Save your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format

Important You can use only Office PowerPoint to save your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format such as Graphics Interchange Format (.gif), JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg), or Portable Network Graphics Format (.png) .

1. In Office PowerPoint, click the slide that contains the SmartArt graphic that you want to save in a graphics file format.
2. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy.

   

3. On the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click the arrow under Paste, and then click Paste Special.
4. In the Paste Special dialog box, in the As list, select the graphics file format that you want.

Notes:

• To work with your file in another program, insert it as an object .
• To quickly save the SmartArt graphic as a picture, right-click the border of the SmartArt graphic, and then click Save as Picture on the shortcut menu.

Save your PowerPoint slide in a graphics file format

To save the Office PowerPoint slide that contains your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format, instead of saving only your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format, do the following:

Important You can use only Office PowerPoint to save your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format such as Graphics Interchange Format (.gif), JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg), or Portable Network Graphics Format (.png) .

1. In Office PowerPoint, click the Microsoft Office Button , point to the arrow next to Save As, and then click PowerPoint 97-2003 Presentation.
2. In the File name box, type a new name for the document, or do nothing to accept the suggested file name.
3. In the Save as type list, select the graphics file format that you want.
4. In the message that appears, click Current Slide Only.

See also:

• Save a file