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Optimizing PDFs to Reduce File Size | Talking PDF

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Optimizing PDFs to Reduce File Size

Pos ted on September 10, 2012 by V irginia Gavin in T alking PDF

Usin g t h e Por t a ble Docu m en t For m a t (PDF) ca n elim in a t e a n u m ber of pr oblem s w h en sh a r in g files. Fr om fon t s a n d for m a t t in g t o im a g es, t a g s, book m a r k s a n d m or e, PDF en su r es y ou r docu m en t look s ex a ct ly a s y ou in t en ded w h en it is open ed by t h e r ecipien t . Depen din g on h ow y ou r file w a s cr ea t ed, it cou ld be a la r g er file size u n less y ou opt im ize y ou r PDF. Opt im iza t ion is a lso ca lled lin ea r iza t ion . File size is m u ch m or e t h a n t h e n u m ber of pa g es. For ex a m ple, a 1 0 pa g e PDF file cou ld be a 1 0 MB file if it h a s v er y h ig h r esolu t ion g r a ph ics, m a n y la y er s of con t en t w it h in t h e file or is a h ig h r esolu t ion sca n n ed color im a g e. Ha v e y ou dow n loa ded a PDF file fr om a w ebsit e a n d h a d t o w a it sev er a l m in u t es for t h e file t o com plet ely dow n loa d befor e y ou cou ld ev en see t h e fir st pa g e of t h e docu m en t ? Most PDF edit in g /cr ea t ion soft w a r e offer a n opt ion ca lled Fa st W eb V iew or Opt im ize t h a t a llow s PDF files t o displa y t h e fir st few pa g es of t h e PDF file w h en t h e docu m en t is open ed, in st ea d of w a it in g for t h e fu ll file t o be a v a ila ble. Opt im ized files a r e a lso g en er a lly sm a ller in size t h a n n on -opt im ized files. For ex a m ple it s n ot u n u su a l t o r edu ce som e files by m or e t h a n h a lf by sim ply select in g Sa v e A s Opt im ized PDF .

Is a Larger File Size a Big Problem?

La r g e files con su m e ba n dw idt h . T h ey t a k e t im e t o dow n loa d a n d m a y t a k e t im e t o sen d w h en a t t a ch ed t o a n e-m a il. IT m a n a g er s h a v e t o dea l w it h in cr ea sed cu st om er su ppor t ca lls beca u se of slow m a il ser v er s a n d em a ils t h a t w er en t r eceiv ed beca u se ov er ly la r g e a t t a ch m en t s g ot h u n g u p in t h e g a t ew a y . Em a il st or a g e n eeds ca n a lso g r ow . It s sim ply g ood for m t o opt im ize y ou r PDFs a n d sa v e ev er y on e a lot of h ea da ch es.

Is It Difficult to Optimize a PDF?

Beca u se PDFs a r e self-con t a in ed, t h ey ca r r y a lot of da t a in a ddit ion t o t ex t a n d im a g es. Fon t s a ccou n t for a h ig h per cen t a g e of da t a in m a n y PDFs, bu t t h is ca n ea sily be r edu ced w it h sev er a l sim ple st eps, in clu din g u sin g on ly st a n da r d fon t s, u sin g few er fon t s a n d fon t st y les, a n d a v oidin g t h e u se of specia l ch a r a ct er s.

How Do I Find Out If My PDF Is Already Optimized?

Usin g A dobe A cr oba t , g o t o File a n d t h en t o Pr oper t ies. T h e Descr ipt ion t a b w ill sh ow y ou if it is set t o Fa st W eb V iew .

How Do I Optimize a PDF?

St a n da r d fon t s in a PDF in clu de T im es, Helv et ica , Cou r ier , Sy m bol a n d Za pfDin g ba t s. A ll PDF r ea der s su ppor t t h ese st a n da r d fon t s. If y ou u se a n on -st a n da r d fon t , it w ill be em bedded in t h e PDF file. If y ou u se a n on -st a n da r d fon t a n d ch oose n ot t o em bed it , A cr oba t w ill displa y a su bst it u t e fon t w h en t h e docu m en t is open ed.
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Optimizing PDFs to Reduce File Size | Talking PDF

Usin g few er fon t s is a lso w ise; ea ch fon t y ou a dd con t r ibu t es a m in im u m of t en s of k iloby t es t o y ou r file. A n d k eep in m in d t h a t few er fon t st y les m a k e a sm a ller file beca u se PDFs in t er pr et Reg u la r , It a lic, Bold a n d Bold It a lic a s fou r differ en t fon t s a n d u sin g a ll of t h em cou ld r equ ir e t h e PDF t o em bed t h a t fon t fou r t im es. Specia l ch a r a ct er s sh ou ld be a v oided w h en ev er possible t o r edu ce file size. T h ese ch a r a ct er s v a r y by PDF edit or . A s t o im a g es, v ect or -ba sed im a g es t a k e less spa ce a n d pr odu ces bet t er qu a lit y ou t pu t t h a n bit m a p im a g es. If y ou m u st u se bit m a ps, r edu ce t h eir size by u sin g m on och r om e r a t h er t h a n color . A n d if Micr osoft W or d is y ou r t ex t pr og r a m , t h er e a r e a few m or e st eps y ou ca n t a k e t o opt im ize y ou r PDF. Ch oose m in im u m size w h en sa v in g , u n ch eck ISO 1 9 0 0 5 -1 com plia n t (PDF/A ), w h ich for ces fon t em beddin g , a n d u n ch eck t h e box for u sin g bit m a pped fon t s. Fin a lly , w h en y ou Sa v e a PDF file, in cr em en t a l u pda t es a r e a ppen ded t o t h e file. T h is a llow s t h e docu m en t t o be sa v ed m or e qu ick ly bu t con t r ibu t es t o t h e ov er a ll size of t h e file. Ch oosin g Sa v e A s w ill com plet ely r ew r it e t h e file a n d r esu lt in a sm a ller file size. A dobe offer s sim ple g u ida n ce on opt im izin g PDF files w h en u sin g A cr oba t X Pr ofession a l: 1 . Open t h e PDF Opt im izer dia log box (File > Sa v e A s > Opt im ized PDF). 2 . T o u se t h e defa u lt set t in g s, ch oose St a n da r d fr om t h e Set t in g s m en u , a n d t h en sk ip t o st ep 6 . If y ou ch a n g e a n y set t in g s in t h e PDF Opt im izer dia log box , t h e Set t in g s m en u a u t om a t ica lly sw it ch es t o Cu st om . 3 . Fr om t h e Ma k e Com pa t ible W it h m en u , ch oose Ret a in Ex ist in g t o k eep t h e cu r r en t PDF v er sion , or ch oose a n A cr oba t v er sion . (T h e opt ion s a v a ila ble in pa n els v a r y depen din g on t h is ch oice.) 4 . Select t h e ch eck box n ex t t o a pa n el (for ex a m ple, Im a g es, Fon t s, T r a n spa r en cy ), a n d t h en select opt ion s in t h a t pa n el. T o pr ev en t a ll of t h e opt ion s in a pa n el fr om ex ecu t in g du r in g opt im iza t ion , deselect t h e ch eck box for t h a t pa n el. 5 . (Opt ion a l) T o sa v e y ou r cu st om ized set t in g s, click t h e Sa v e bu t t on a n d n a m e t h e set t in g s. (T o delet e a sa v ed set t in g , ch oose it in t h e Set t in g s m en u a n d click Delet e.) 6 . W h en y ou a r e fin ish ed select in g opt ion s, click OK. 7 . In t h e Sa v e Opt im ized A s dia log box , click Sa v e t o ov er w r it e t h e or ig in a l PDF w it h t h e opt im ized PDF, or select a n ew n a m e or loca t ion . Not e: T o opt im ize sev er a l docu m en t s a t t h e sa m e t im e, u se t h e Ou t pu t opt ion s for t h e A ct ion s W iza r d. T h er e a r e m a n y PDF u t ilit ies, ev en fr ee t ools, t h a t ca n h elp y ou opt im ize or com pr ess y ou r files, a lt h ou g h t h e a m ou n t of size r edu ct ion m a y v a r y . Not e : Opt im iza t ion , a lso ca lled lin ea r iza t ion , is a n in clu ded fea t u r e in a ll A pplig en t ser v er -ba sed a pplica t ion s. By Shaw na McAlearney Opt im ize PDF

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