I have a file that is still over 6meg when converted to a .pdf - I have tried directly exporting from InDesign and creating a PostScript file and distilling it, but still I can't get the size down - presumably because of the complex nature of the file. I really need to get it to about 2meg if I can so client can email/put it on her website.
Is there such a thing as a service that can reduce the file further whilst retaining it as a .pdf (ie, not zip it up).
Cheers
google suggests;
[url= http://blog.nitropdf.com/index.php/2008/02/11/5-tricks-to-shrinkreduce-pdf-file-size/ ]http://blog.nitropdf.com/index.php/2008/02/11/5-tricks-to-shrinkreduce-pdf-file-size/[/url]
which is specific to one product but I'd agree with them - reduce image sizes and save as a new doc as a first pass.
[url= http://www.ehow.com/how_2321237_compress-pdf.html ]Compress a PDF ? [/url]
you can do it in acrobat pro.
mastiles_fanylion
Send it to me, I will sort it out for you 😀 and send you it back at the right size
Have you used the 'smallest file size' acrobat preset in in design?
you can do it in acrobat pro.
Yeah I have Acrobat Pro, it just isn't able to get it any smaller - I have tried Advanced > PDF Optimiser too.
Thanks Squiff - I assume your email is in your profile?
Reduce the definition?
Or get the client to up their mailbox size - one of mine went to 10MB recently, and Hotmail is now 25MB.
what size is the in design artwork?
No sent it to breezedesign@live.com 😀
Client is local Government so they can't change mailbox limit...
you could try dropbox and avoid email altogether?
It isn't me, it is client that needs to send it - it is a file to sit on their website and for them to send to schools etc via email.
At the end of the day if I can't get it any smaller it will have to do, it is just ideal to get it a bit more usable sizewise.
mastiles_fanylion
I could have done it by now, come on send it to me. I will photoshop it. Job done, NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!
split it in to two or three parts?
Bit lateral but if it's a link on a website would it not bypass email settings? or as the file is already on a server could they not send the link to the file rather than the actual file.
Squiff - email just sent 🙂
Bit lateral but if it's a link on a website would it not bypass email settings? or as the file is already on a server could they not send the link to the file rather than the actual file.
It is for both web and email (ie, a user might go to their site, but equally they may ask for it emailing). Local Government so you can imagine how it works...
It should be easy to get the image sizes down direct from InDesign - just change to compression settings to reduce images to 150lpi for anything above 160lpi, and change the image quality to medium or low.
If you've got loads of vector paths and text converted to paths then no amount of compressing will reduce the file size though.
AM on it 😀
Muffin Man - believe me I have tried direct exports at every resolution imaginable!
Have you sorted it? If not email it to me and I'l sort it in Acrobat for you easy pezzey
Sounds to me like the OP has done all the sensible things already in the InDesign export, and if it just won't go any smaller despite choosing the lowest quality options in ID, it's going to be as Muffin Man says, vector artwork and text are keeping the file size up, and Acrobat Pro isn't going to help. Rasterising it in Photoshop and saving as a totally raster PDF may or may not help the filesize, but will definitely reduce the quality, especially if the size is due to lovely sharp vector images and text - should be your *very last* resort.
Things to try (which may have been tried already):
Definitely postscript and distill rather than export from InDesign (usually makes a smaller PDF, even using the same job options)
Convert (or have Distiller convert) all images to RGB
Have Distiller reduce the resolution of the images as far as you can (for printing at home on a cheap inkjet, even 100dpi is fine)
Make sure the downsampling threshold is the same as the target resolution (usually job options files don't reduce resolution unless the current resolution is more than 1.5 x the target resolution - the wording is something like 'downsample to 150dpi for images over 225dpi'. That means with an Adobe standard job options file set to 150dpi, usually Distiller won't start downsampling until the image resolution is over 225dpi - to get the smallest filesize, you want to downsample anything higher than 150dpi, even if it's only 156dpi)
Don't embed any colour profiles
Reduce the jpeg quality as far as you dare (this often makes more visible difference to the image quality than reducing the resolution)
Simplify any complex vector artwork if you can, and make sure all that's in RGB too
If you don't care whether the fonts stay the same from PC to PC, or the document uses fonts everyone will have, don't embed the fonts (a font might be 1MB itself)
If you do care about the fonts, reduce the number of different ones used in the design
Couldn't you use a PDF printer driver like PDF995?
Many thanks for that finnegan - your post pretty much reflects where I am but you do have a couple of pointers there I could try to do a little more with it...
You could also try 'Linerization' which is an algorithm to optimise for web viewing.
Try removing any embedded fonts
Sometimes there's just no more you can do. Obviously the more you compress the file the poorer the quality. As I would be pretty wary of sending a reduced quality file to a client I would suggest they download it from your web site or maybe go old school and chuck it on a CD?
Ahhh........ just seen your post about them wanting to send it by email. How about only including 1/3 of the pages??