PDF files get huge when printing

[awayman]

I have a single-page pdf file that is 245 kilobytes on disk, but when printing from Acrobat (reader or full version) the file becomes 96.6 Megs in the print queue. That isn't a typo; the file grows from less than a quarter meg to nearly 100 megs.

If I use the "Print as Image" option in Acrobat Reader, the file only becomes 15 megs in the print queue, but that still seems like an excessively large increase in size.

Any idea why this happens, or how to prevent it? The PDF was created in-house, and it has lots of graphics in it (which were also created in-house), so I'm thinking there was something during this creation process that results in the print spooler blowing up the file size.

One more note: the print queue file size only gets huge on HP printers; I printed to a Canon Imagerunner, and the size increase was negligible.

 

[tgreer]

These graphics, are they repetitive? The same graphic, over and over, across many pages?



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[awayman]

No, it's a single-page file.

Here's the pdf:

http://home.kc.rr.com/awayman/FundersCover.pdf

 

[tgreer]

I suspect the problem is your gradient, the shading from light blue to white. Newer printers and RIPs will use PostScript Level 3 "Smooth Shading" for that, older printers will not, and so will print every little blue line/dot.



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[tgreer]

I see you're in KC. Do you work for a commercial printer there? I'm in Wichita.



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[awayman]

No, we're not a commercial printing shop.

Printing via the Postscript driver instead of the PCL for the HP printers fixed the file size problem, but it seems to cause font errors or improper coloring on the printed page.

Thanks for your help Mr. Greer; this question was more academic than critical. We can live with the 15 meg print jobs, at least until it becomes a real issue for us.