File size in pdf export

Hi community,
I have a question about reduction of file size when exporting to interactive pdf.
I am working with an InDesign (CS6, Win) document with about 70 pages and about 100 links included.
The links consist of Illustrator files with up to 15 layers, which I am using to show some step-by-step instructions.
Because of the layered architecture of the included Illustrator files, the exported pdf becomes quite big (>50MB).
I wonder if InDesign has a way of flattening the figures in the exported pdf, in order to show only visible layers?
When I browse through the exported pdf, I see deeper layers being rendered, which finally are covered with an opaque layer.
Of course I could use Illustrator to flatten each figure and link to separate files, showing the final view of the figure.
Or I could export every view of the figure as png and link to that.
However, with both these methods I lose the advantage of linking to one file and choosing the visible layers for the figure - thereby making it not easier for maintenance, besides creating a lot of work for saving the separate figures.
When exporting from InDesign, I already unchecked the "Create Acrobat Layers", however this does not solve my issue.
I also unsuccessfully tried to reduce the pdf file size using the "Save As Optimized pdf" feature of Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance!
Chris

There has been some progress with the topic:
As Dave Blatner pointed out, adding transparency to a figure and exporting to pdf using the PDF/X-1a preset will remove all hidden information from the Illustrator vector graphic included.
However, this preset does not support interactivity:
InDesign produces a warning, stating that all interactivity will be lost and one should use PDF 1.5 or higher to support interactivity.
Unfortunately, these PDF versions do not support "Transparency Flattener" anymore - putting me back to start.
But maybe I can form my question a bit more specific now:
How can I drop all information on an exported pdf page that is not visible (while still having interactivity)?
Any hints are gratefully acknowledged.
Chris

Similar Messages

Knowing File Size Prior to Exporting

With the advent of youtube etc which limits file size to 100mb is there a way to calculate the file size prior to export?
Even better is there any way, maybe a plug in that you can aim for a specific file size, say 99.9mb and the codec would meet that target size keeping the VDO at the best quality possible within those parameters???
Thanks,

Sounds like an interesting project for one of the shareware companies.......anyone??

File size issue with exporting PDF

We write a newsletter for our daughter's gym and are trying to export a Pages '08 document into a PDF small enough for e-mail. When we export with Best settings the file size is 3.2MB, with Better the file is 4.1MB and with Good the file size is 3.8MB. Why would the lowest quality setting (Good) result in a larger file size than Best?

Welcome to Apple Discussions
That does seem odd the "good" export would be bigger. One thing that causes Pages documents to be so big is the graphics. If you pre-process the images to close to the actual size you'll use it will reduce the size of your Pages document. I prefer using GraphicConverter but you could use any image editor such as Photoshop Elements.
Also, if you do any image manipulation in Pages, it will greatly increase the file size because Pages keeps all of the images in the document package.
You can also try the "Reduce File Size" filter in ColorSync in the Print dialog. Click "Copies & Pages" > ColorSync & then Reduce File Size under Filters, Then click the PDF button in the lower left of the Print dialog. I don't find that the Compress PDF choice in the PDF menu saves much, if any.

Is there a file size limit when exporting PDF to Word using AcrobatXI?

We have a 500 page document, mostly text, to scan and convert.

I doubt there is a hard limit, but you may hit problems with particularly big files.
But I am concerned about the word "scan" here. Are these files not even PDF files yet? If so, no solution for going paper -> Word is likely to be improved by sticking "PDF" in the middle to get paper -> PDF -> Word. Involving PDF in the middle of any conversion process is more likely to be a mistake than not.

File Size of PDFs in Preview

I scan a lot of documents for record keeping purposes. I set the scanner to 300 dpi, black and white. This keeps the file size down and the document is readable and printable (close to the original), and the scanning is quick. I scanned three sets of documents (about 15 pages each) this way and saved them as PDFs. The file sizes were 3.1 MB, 3.2 MB, and 1.8 MB. I used Preview to combine the three documents into one PDF. The resulting file was 19.3 MB. Why so large? 3.1 + 3.2 + 1.8 = 8.1 What is going on here? How do I keep the file size down when using Preview? I don't want to buy PDF Studio (or some tool like it) if I can avoid it (they all seem so mediocre).

Try Combine PDFs
<http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.info/Freeware/CombinePDFs.shtml>
I scan at 600 bpi into TIFF, then use Graphics Converter to save with the CCITT 4 compression. I get about 12:1 compression, with no loss of quality. The result is still TIFF, so you don't have to uncompress to use them.

How can I reduce the file size when PDF Optimizer does not do much?

I have a PDF form that exists of 48 pages. 44 pages are forms / have form fields, the other 4 are just informative. Each form-page has approx. 80 fields (checkboxes, text fields).
When I started setting up the PDF form the file size was 12 MB and I had placed fields on 21 pages. Then with 34 pages the file size was 19 MB. And with 40 pages it was 35 MB big! Finally with 44 pages the file size is 34 MB.
So I searched with Google and found some tips. Using the "PDF Optimizer" option inside Acrobat for example. So I did, and the file was reduced only with 3 MB... 31 MB was the file. Also used the option "Save as.... Optimized".... no difference. I also found a suggestion about removing embedded fonts. Using the "Audit Space Usage" option I noticed the fonts taking many MegaBytes:
* Content Streams: 5.287.000     15,09 %
* Fonts:                24.556.810     70,08 % !!
* Acrobat forms:      3.349.164    12,05 %
In the older PDF version (I saved and kept this one too) with just 21 pages with form-fields, the "Audit Space Usage" shows:
* Content Streams: 5.292.000     40,14 %
* Fonts:                 1.290.224     9,79 %
* Acrobat forms:      1.588.758    12,05 %
So I could save many many MegaBytes by -UnEmbedding- fonts. But if I do this (unembed ALL fonts), the file size stays almost the same!?!?!? Why? What can I do to reduce the file size? I would like it to be 8 MB if possible (32 MB - 24 MB = 8 MB)?
Thank you for your help!

If you have authored the form, reduce the number of different fonts for the content and form fields.
Any font used in a form field will cause that font to be embedded into the PDF.
If you are going to Optimize the PDF be very careful with forms. Optimization does a lot of removal of items and rearranging of items which can really mess up forms.

Get file size value for export to .txt

I have created a script to export metadata using the XMP Script Library. I am able to get all the properties I need except one: image file size (not dimensions, but the size of the file itself in MB). File size is not included in any XMP namespaces and it isn't in any TIFF tags as far as I can tell.
Getting the file name is very straightforward: exportFile.write (thumb.name), but I can't find any method to get the file size.
Any ideas would be a big help.
Thanks in advance,
Greg Reser

var sels = app.document.selections;
alert(sels[0].spec.length);
This will get you the file size in bytes, then you can divide to get Mbytes.

Lightroom Keeping Original File Size on JPEG Export

In Photoshop Light room, when I make edits to some JPEG files in a library and leave some unedited, I want to then export the JPEG files, keeping their original file sizes. The default quality setting is 60%, but this reduces the file sizes.
How do I keep the original file sizes?
Thx.
Tony.

> The default quality setting is 60%, but this reduces the file sizes. How do I keep the original file sizes?
All of the Export Presets can be edited and the new settings made to be default. Alternatively you can set up your own, new, presets to your own specification.

Cannot reduce file size with PDF X

Hi, have created a 1 page document in pages that has some hi-res digital SLR shots, so 5pics has pushed file size to 21mb. I cannot email this around, so went help hunting and determined that pdfx was the answer to my dreams. It all works in principle, except the vital bit, i.e. after pdfx'ing, my new file, it was still around 21mb......managed to then use GRABIT as a bodge to get the file out the door. Any clues? Mac Help indicates that this should work or am I missing something? The aperture brochure is over 700 pages and full of images and that weighs in at only 20.4mb !!!!!
Hopefully its me missing something obvious, or do I need Adobe writer !!!!

I kinda figured that as an option, but I just want to be able to slot items in and then decompress on mass to minimum file size. The pro tip of the week eludes to opening text edit but I cannot open a pages doc or pdf with text edit. Just looking for the least number of key strokes and things not to have to remember when I am banging a document together. There must be a faster way. It also shows the quartz settings on line, but cannot see this anywhere in Leopard......

Errors when using "Limit file size to" when exporting images

When I try to use the "limit file size to" option in Export, I often get at least one image that doesn't export, and I get a dialogie box like the image attached here:
As I am exporting in batches, it geats really messy and risky too!I have tried various file size options but that doesn't seem to be a factor.
Any ideas on solving this, or is it an unfixed Lr bug?!
thanks in advance

I can't reproduce it here, so you could try trashing the preferences file http://members.lightroomqueen.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/View/1148/198/how-do-i- delete-the-lightroom-preferences-file
If that doesn't do the trick, post it on the Official Feature Request/Bug Report Forum

Maximum Number of Pages and File Size for PDFs

Assuming that your computer has ample CPU, memory,and storage, how many pages and what file size does Adobe recommend that you limit a single PDF to using Acrobat Pro XI in order to avoid any issues.

I don't know whether there's a limit on number of pictures you can add to a book
as long as they are contained in 100 pages, which is the maximum photo pages on a book.

Reducing AI file sizes for PDF distribution

Greetings all,
Using CS2 Illustrator, I have a file that is approximately 14.5M large. It's completely black and white, with a b/w photo. I was thinking that when I saved it as a pdf file, the size of the pdf document would be considerably smaller so people could send it by email. It came down to 1.9, but I'd like to get it smaller than that. I'm guessing I have to reduce the size of the embedded photo?
I also have a version of the file with a color photo. It's AI size is 34.1M, it's converted pdf file size is 32.5. I'm desparate for a method that will get these two documents down below 1M size so that members of my Barbershop Chorus can send the pdf files out announcing our upcoming show.
Any help GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks,
Bond

When you save the PDF, Illustrator will downsample images according to the settings you chose. Downsampling the source images won't help for file size. Usually the biggest source of bloat is leaving "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" on. This adds the entire Illustrator file to the PDF.
I suggest you start with Smallest File Size and adjust the downsample options under Compression. Reduce image resolution if sizes are still too big or increase resolution or image quality if sizes can be increased and quality is unacceptable.

File size limit on export doesn't.

I have an export option for a photo forum I post to, where the size limit is 200kb. I have set 200kb, 600x600 JPG as the export limits, and I routinely get files much bigger, memory-wise, than that, up to 260kb.
I can set the export dimension limit to 500x500, and still get files over 200kb. Today, after a file went to 260kb at 600x600, I set the dimension limit to 500x500, and the exported file size did not change: at 500x500, it was still a 260kb file. If I go through and tweak compression by hand, on every photo, or set a file size limit of 150kb, I can get under 200kb per file.
I've tried files where I set the limit from 200, to 190, to 180, to 170, and see no change in the exported file (still well over 200 in size), and then when I set it to 160 it jumps down to 150-160 in size. If the file was only 210kb on export with the 200kb limit, setting it to 180kb will generally get the file under 200kb.
Really, the file size limit does not do what it purports to do. It can clearly get the file below that size if I direct it by hand every time: I haven't specified anything that would artificially bulk the file up, like a quality setting that would be incompatible with the file size limit. It's free to compress the file as needed to meet the limit.
What I want it to do is meet the limit I set for it. I shouldn't have to dance around. I have this export setting for the express purpose of quickly producing under-200kb files, and I sort of expect Lightroom to manage it.

I've had this problem too, but it isn't the only one when creating small jpeg files from LR.
There is something seriously amiss in the export module. I also create a lot of 600 pixel wide/high files and not only are the file sizes far too high, but the quality is poor. I have two workarounds for this, both of which add a little time to the job, but make a big difference.
First is to export my files as full size jpegs (which I do anyway,) LR does a good job with these. Then get another programme to batch process these to give me the small sRGB files I also need!
Second is to use LR's web module and create a basic html site for a batch of images in a folder in a temp directory at the precise size I want. This has the advantage that I can add a watermark. Then just rename and move the folder containing the images from the web folder that has been created to where I want them, followed by deleting the rest of the web folder.
Working at low quality (38%) from the Export module gave me a file size for one image of 455KB. So then I told it to export at a max of 200KB, and it came out at 565KB. Using the web module with quality set at 70 gave a higher quality result and a file size of 105KB!
The problem seems to be worse on images where I've done quite a bit of work using local adjustments - rather as if they are actually performing these on the small jpeg and re-saving each time. Certainly something going very wrong - just like it was in LR2.x and I think it must be a logical error as presumably the web module uses the same library to create jpegs.

Why do my photo file size increases upon export?!?!

This is driving me nuts. I have Aperture 1.5.2 referencing an iPhoto library. When I look at the metadata toolset I can see each photo's file size. I have all my photos already resized to fit in an 800x800px box. When I export through Aperture using "export version jpeg original" I get an increased file size. When I export using the master version I don't. I went through and added iptc caption data that only seems to export with the version not the master. I can't believe a line of txt adds so noticeably to the file size. If I need to export my photos with the iptc caption data and want to retain my original file sizes how should I go about it?
Thanks,
Michael

chuck,
it all depends on 2 factors. a - your original file (pixel dimensions, format, compression level, color and bit depth) and the exported file (pixel dimensions, format, compression level, color and bit depth).
just as an example - if you take a quite strongly compressed jpg (lets say at 5) and export it to be a less compressed jpg (10 to 12), the file size in kb will be larger, while maintaining the same amount of pixels. what has changed is the way the information are stored within the jpg +(to say it very simplified and without going into details about compression and possible loss of data etc)+.
if you'd take a high-res 16-bit tif and export it (again at exact same pixel dimensions) as jpg, you'd get a much smaller file, still the same pixels (at least the amount of pixels, however perhaps "lower quality" pixels, depending on compression level, original image, noise, tonality etc etc).
long (technical) story short: there is no real "one answer fits all" because it heavily depends on your original image. as a rule of thumb however, print files should be in 300 dpi and images for the web in 72.
in terms of color and bit depth it now depends who you're sending the files to. if you send them to your client, use 8 bit sRGB. if you send it to a graphic designer, i'd send him 16-bit tif files in adobe rgb. all of this makes no sense if your original image was a heavily compressed 8 bit sRGB jpg of course.

Question about file size when using "Export for Web"

Hi!
I created a .mov file and worked to get a great balance between file size and quality so that I could deliver it via the web and make it easier for end users to see the video on a slower connection.
My question: When I use "Export for Web," my .mov file is converted into a very large .m4v file--more than double the size of the original file. I know that this export option is to optimize the file for a wide variety of users/internet speeds. Am I correct in guessing that the end size is not an issue? I would post the .mov file instead, but I really like the option of embedding into a html page along with the "click to play" option.
Bottom line--is it better to post the smaller .mov file that i originally started with or to go ahead and link to the bigger .m4v file that was created with the "Export for Web" option?

"Export for Web" is a feature of QuickTime Pro and it makes 4 files and the html page code for easy copy/paste Web page editing.
The very first file is called a "reference movie" and it links to the other 3 files (56kbps, 900kbps and 1.5Mbps). It, and the page code, "read" the connection speed of the viewing hardware and "serve up" the correct file based on that connection speed.
In nearly all cases the "Desktop" version would still be smaller in file size than the original source. The times the file would "increase" in file size would be when an already compressed was used as the source file. You can find out more about your source file by opening it in QuickTime Player and viewing the Movie Inspector window information.
There are dozens of other html "tricks" that could be used if your source file is already compressed but you want a different display size:
Page code to show "aspect" or scale="tofit". This code allows values "outside" of those found in the actual QuickTime file be used for the Web page display. A 320X240 QuickTime .mov file looks pretty good at double size (640X480) but the file size would still be that of the source file.
"Poster Movie" is another html trick that loads the Web based file directly in the QuickTime Player application (bypassing Web page layout restrictions). These files are also known as "Presentation Movies".
Another method is the QuickTime Media Link file (.qtl). These are simple text based files that are used as a "direct link". These use simple XML (Extensible Markup Language) and are easily created in any text editing application. The simple syntax has amazing control over a simple QuickTime .mov file. You can launch (and quit) the QuickTime Player, display at other dimensions and even embed "links" inside the display.
Some of my files as examples:
http://homepage.mac.com/kkirkster/Lemon_Trees/ a "Poster Movie" style.
http://homepage.mac.com/kkirkster/.Public/RedneckTexasChristmas.qtl
A QuickTime Media Link file. A tiny file should download to the viewing machine, launch QuickTime Player, present the movie and it even includes a "link" to my Web page.
Edit: It appears you must now double click the .qtl download to launch QuickTime.

File size in pdf export

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for