Converting PDF files

[AdminStooge]

All,

Here is the situation that I'm facing and hoping that someone could offer some ideas.

We take PCL files that are posted for us and we convert them to PDF files. The issue that we are dealing with is that the PDF files after we convert them do not compress in size; which leaves us to deal with files that are at least 4MB in size. With size limitations when sending emails we are not able to send the necessary files in one email. We are forced to send multiple emails out which is not very efficient on our end.

I could allow the team that handles this to send out emails that are larger than 10 MB but that only resolves the issue on our end since other company’s and email providers (AOL, gmail, yahoo….etc) have their own limitations set.
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Taking the PDF files after converting them and using winzip does not compress the files.

Is there any other soft of compression that I could try?

Thanks
AdminStooge

 

[tperkins]

What software do you have is a better question? For instance if you have the full version of Acrobat 6 lets says you can save them as optimized and reduce any photos in the pdf by size and or compression, remove any unnessasary or hidden items in the pdf to reduce it's size.

Adobe Illustrator and PhotShop you can do it similary but with less effective or clearer outcome.

Tony Perkins

 

[AdminStooge]

I'm looking into this tool called CVista PdfCompression Edition and it took a 6MB PDF file and compressed it to a 964KB PDF file

 

[jmgalvin]

As tperkins first asked, what application are you using to create the pdfs?

In Acrobat, you set the default text resolution, downsampling of images, image compression, etc to suit your needs. Acrobat pdfs set for the default Screen quality are far smaller than those set for default Print which are smaller still than Press. All of those are infinitely variable to suit you needs and those varibles can be saved as presets for future use.

Once you create and open the pdf, you can select Reduce File Size from the File menu and teh file will be optimized. When I send intial proofs to clients, I use the Press preset, which usuaully gives me about a 2MB file for one page with graphics. After Reduce, that pdf generally comes down to the 300KB range.

Further file size reduction can be used in Acrobat via Advanced menu/PDF Otimizer - providing all sorts of control over the quality and size.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4