Reducing the Size of a PDF File

[curtisa@adobeforums.com]

We're working with some extemely large PDF files (30meg) that consist of an engineering drawing (not sure of the original format, probably a CAD program) that has been converted to PDF. What approach can we use to reduce the size of these PDF files? I can't see any way of exporting the image from PDF to a standard graphics format. Distiller seems to only convert from Postscript to PDF. We're considering just taking a screen shot and touching the thing up in Paint Shop Pro.

We have Acrobat and Distiller 4.0.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Curt

[Jonathan_H@adobeforums.com]

Download the trial version of Acrobat 6 Professional and use the PDF Optimizer. You can downsample the images and use some other size reducing techniques.

You can also save in a variety of graphics formats - TIFF, JPEG and also JPEG 200 with a variety of compressions.

Check the system specifcations first however - I don't think it is compatible with any operating system that supports Acrobat 4.

[Ian_Burton@home_in_Paris.fr]

You could try redistilling the PDF files using Job Options in Distiller that do downsampling and compression. Depends what you want to do with the files as to what levels of downsampling and compression you can use. I think the distiller 4 has a Job Option called Screen so try that. Basically what you need to do is open the document in Acrobat, and print to a Postscript file, then distill the Postscript file. I can't remember if Acrobat Distiller printer was shipped with Acrobat 4 or not, but that would be a good printer to use for generating your Postscript file.

On the other hand the PDF file may have security set that does not allow your to redistill - if that's the case you'll need to go back to the people who created the PDFs and have then do the downsampling and compression.

One thing that maybe obvious, but I'll mention it just in case, the more downsampling/compression you perform the more definition quality you loose. SO don't expect to squash 30MB to 300KB and keep the same superb lines and text.
Cheers
Ian

[Ian_Burton@home_in_Paris.fr]

Jonathan
So why is it I am always second in this response business? - maybe I just type too slowly and too much - I've noticed people have problems catching on to what I'm trying to explain. Someone, earlier today was suggesting I wanted to have optimizer automatically replace subset fonts with full font embedding - imagine - cheek of the fella!

Good idea about the tryout version for curtisa. Much easier to see what's happening.
Cheers
Ian

[Jonathan_H@adobeforums.com]

So why is it I am always second in this response business?




I'm in the UK and you're in France, no? Isn't it obvious - it's the time difference! :)

[W_T_Allen@adobeforums.com]

Ian, are you posting via newsreader or the web interface?

I have noticed Aandi's posts always show up well after it seems he would have posted them, and he uses a newsreader.

[Ian_Burton@home_in_Paris.fr]

WT,
Thrashing away on the Web after the techies came by today to install my new 2560Mb Internet connection. It's a bit like having a Ferrari in a traffic jam. FTP to the office works a treat though. Nonetheless, there's still this same few seconds hesitation between clicking the e-mail notification and getting the thread up in the Web browser - seems like it sends a link packet by slow boat via china then I get an instant avalanche. Still does nothing for my typing, still pecking away at the keys and retyping for all the spelling mistakes.

Jonathan,
If it's the time difference between UK and France, then when you get your reply in 5 minutes after the original post, I should be 1 hour in front of you. By my reckoning - even typing slowly - I should have my response in at least 30 minutes before the question was asked!
Cheers
and good night
Ian