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When you save your 2007 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 2007 slide that contains your SmartArt graphic, to a separate file that you can embed (embedded object: Information (object) contained in a source file and inserted into a destination file. Once embedded, the object becomes part of the destination file. Changes you make to the embedded object are reflected in the destination file.) or insert into any program that supports the Graphics Interchange Format (.gif) (GIF: A graphics file format (.gif extension in Windows) used to display indexed-color graphics on the World Wide Web. It supports up to 256 colors and uses lossless compression, meaning that no image data is lost when the file is compressed.), JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg) (JPEG: A graphics file format (.jpg extension in Microsoft Windows) supported by many Web browsers that was developed for compressing and storing photographic images. It's best used for graphics with many colors, such as scanned photos.), or Portable Network Graphics Format (.png) (PNG: A graphic file format that is supported by some Web browsers. Short for Portable Network Graphics, PNG supports variable transparency of images and control of image brightness on different computers. PNG files are compressed bitmaps..). For example, you might want to save a SmartArt graphic as a graphics file if you want to lock it so that it can't be edited.

For help with deciding which graphic format to choose, see TIF, GIF, JPEG or PNG, a third-party article by Ilise Benun.

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

• Save your SmartArt graphic as a .gif, .png, or .jpg file

• Save your PowerPoint slide as a .gif, .png, or .jpg file

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 2007 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 2007 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 2007 with earlier versions of Excel, Use Office PowerPoint 2007 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 as a .gif, .png, or .jpg file

You can save your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format such as Graphics Interchange Format (.gif) (GIF: A graphics file format (.gif extension in Windows) used to display indexed-color graphics on the World Wide Web. It supports up to 256 colors and uses lossless compression, meaning that no image data is lost when the file is compressed.), JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg) (JPEG: A graphics file format (.jpg extension in Microsoft Windows) supported by many Web browsers that was developed for compressing and storing photographic images. It's best used for graphics with many colors, such as scanned photos.), or Portable Network Graphics Format (.png) (PNG: A graphic file format that is supported by some Web browsers. Short for Portable Network Graphics, PNG supports variable transparency of images and control of image brightness on different computers. PNG files are compressed bitmaps..).

1. Click 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, click Picture (GIF), Picture (PNG), or Picture (JPEG).

  Notes  

• To work with your file in another program, insert it as an object (object: A table, chart, graphic, equation, or other form of information. Objects created in one application, for example spreadsheets, and linked or embedded in another application are OLE objects.).
• In Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 only, to quickly save your 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 as a .gif, .png, or .jpg file

Applies only to Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

To save the 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 only save your SmartArt graphic in a graphics file format such as Graphics Interchange Format (.gif) (GIF: A graphics file format (.gif extension in Windows) used to display indexed-color graphics on the World Wide Web. It supports up to 256 colors and uses lossless compression, meaning that no image data is lost when the file is compressed.), JPEG File Interchange Format (.jpg) (JPEG: A graphics file format (.jpg extension in Microsoft Windows) supported by many Web browsers that was developed for compressing and storing photographic images. It's best used for graphics with many colors, such as scanned photos.), or Portable Network Graphics Format (.png) (PNG: A graphic file format that is supported by some Web browsers. Short for Portable Network Graphics, PNG supports variable transparency of images and control of image brightness on different computers. PNG files are compressed bitmaps..).

1. 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.