File size reduction PDF sets for email attachment

[Todd]

I'm sending a PDF set as an email attachment - it's over the maximum file size. Is there a simple way to reduce the file size (Top plan 2D graphics) without noticeably compromising the image quality?

Thanks

Edited February 20 by Todd

[Tom W.]

8 minutes ago, Todd said:

I'm sending a PDF set as an email attachment - it's over the maximum file size. Is there a simple way to reduce the file size (Top plan 2D graphics) without noticeably compromising the image quality?

Thanks

 

The only way I know is to reduce sheet layer DPI + republish. Or publish as image. For PDFs containing raster geometry you can easily compress using iLovePDF etc but for Top/Plan (vector) that doesn't work. I don't really understand why VW generates so such PDFs from 2D graphics- it's crazy. Hopefully someone else knows better.

[P Retondo]

Acrobat Pro has an option to save as reduced size .pdf.  Alternatively, you can import the sheets into Photoshop and reduce the dpi.

[Tom W.]

4 minutes ago, P Retondo said:

Acrobat Pro has an option to save as reduced size .pdf.

Does it work on 2D vector based geometry I.e. dense hatches, lots of lines, etc?

[Peter Neufeld.]

Hello,

What happens when you try the different options in the Export to PDF dialogue?

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

[E|FA]

I always handle PDF size reduction outside of VW.  On Mac, I use PDF Expert or PDF Toolkit+.  There are many other options out there.

[mjm]

I ♥️ PDF web site: free, great compression—generally better IMO than Adobe's. and their other products on the same page are also awesome. PDF convert to Excel is my second most used feature there.

I should perhaps point out that a multipage PDF is compressible for free, but multiple files at once are not.

 

Edited February 20 by mjm
clarity

[Tom W.]

5 hours ago, mjm said:

I ♥️ PDF web site: free, great compression—generally better IMO than Adobe's. and their other products on the same page are also awesome. PDF convert to Excel is my second most used feature there.

I should perhaps point out that a multipage PDF is compressible for free, but multiple files at once are not.

 

 

I use iLovePDF too but as per my posts above it only works on raster geometry + the OP specifically referred to Top/Plan 2D graphics. I even spoke to iLovePDF about this directly the first time it happened + they said there was nothing they could do to compress my PDF. 

 

6 hours ago, Peter Neufeld. said:

Hello,

What happens when you try the different options in the Export to PDF dialogue?

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

Likewise these settings only affect image based geometry.

[bcd]

Apple's Preview>Save As>Quartz Filter>Reduce File Size

[Tom W.]

2 hours ago, bcd said:

Apple's Preview>Save As>Quartz Filter>Reduce File Size

 

I have a PDF generated from VW - a map - that looks like this:

 

It is 26.5MB. When I save it with Quartz Filter set to 'Reduce File Size' the resultant PDF is 39.8MB in size 🙂

[bcd]

11 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

It is 26.5MB. When I save it with Quartz Filter set to 'Reduce File Size' the resultant PDF is 39.8MB in size 🙂

I wonder if it's rasterizing vector hatches?

If you run it a second time what's the result?

[Tom W.]

4 minutes ago, bcd said:

If you run it a second time what's the result?

 

This reduces it from 39.8MB to 39.7MB...

[bcd]

That's odd/interesting. Sorry it didn't work for this case. I usually have success with it.

[Tom W.]

24 minutes ago, bcd said:

That's odd/interesting. Sorry it didn't work for this case. I usually have success with it.

 

It does feel like the issue is to do with the way VW handles high concentrations of line-work.

[mjm]

3 hours ago, Tom W. said:

 

I have a PDF generated from VW - a map - that looks like this:

 

It is 26.5MB. When I save it with Quartz Filter set to 'Reduce File Size' the resultant PDF is 39.8MB in size 🙂

I get same results w/ the Apple Quartz filter.

[E|FA]

@Tom W. If you post or DM the PDF file, I'll test it in PDF Tollkit+

[Tom W.]

8 minutes ago, E|FA said:

@Tom W. If you post or DM the PDF file, I'll test it in PDF Tollkit+

 

DM-ing you now thank you!

[unearthed]

Are there raster images (.jpgs, or .png etc) in your drawing?

 

I'm using VW 2018 (but this has been an issue in vw since I started in 2004)  where an image file extends beyond the viewport, that all of the image data is exported/pubished to the pdf - this does not seem to be a thing regarding vector data. So I split images into tiles and put each tile in its own class  - it's a really slow kludge, but sometimes necessary.

 

It is the nature of some compression algorithms to result in a file becoming larger - sometimes. VW is very inneficient with its handling of hatches, and with stipples it is even worse.

[Tom W.]

1 minute ago, unearthed said:

VW is very inneficient with its handling of hatches

 

100% agree with this. Again: too many lines.

[E|FA]

Regarding the sample file @Tom W. sent me.  Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Tollkit+ could compress the file.  I'm attaching a screenshot of the PDF Toolkit message indicating the problem with vector graphics.  I then exported the PDF to a PNG to get rid of the vector graphics, created a PDF back from the PNG, and then compressed.  This worked with Preview, PDF Expert, and PDF Toolkit+.  Not the greatest option if you have a lot of sheets.

 

Based on this, I think that when possible it would be better to replace vector (and hatch) heavy underlays like maps with a rasterized PNG or JPG when feasible, keeping the vector data only in the portions that are needed.

Edited February 22 by E|FA

[mjm]

30 minutes ago, E|FA said:

Regarding the sample file @Tom W. sent me.  Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Tollkit+ could compress the file.  I'm attaching a screenshot of the PDF Toolkit message indicating the problem with vector graphics.  I then exported the PDF to a PNG to get rid of the vector graphics, created a PDF back from the PNG, and then compressed.  This worked with Preview, PDF Expert, and PDF Toolkit+.  Not the greatest option if you have a lot of sheets.

 

Based on this, I think that when possible it would be better to replace vector (and hatch) heavy underlays like maps with a rasterized PNG or JPG when feasible, keeping the vector data only in the portions that are needed.

Thanks for your research @E|FA

[Tom W.]

6 hours ago, E|FA said:

Regarding the sample file @Tom W. sent me.  Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Tollkit+ could compress the file.  I'm attaching a screenshot of the PDF Toolkit message indicating the problem with vector graphics.  I then exported the PDF to a PNG to get rid of the vector graphics, created a PDF back from the PNG, and then compressed.  This worked with Preview, PDF Expert, and PDF Toolkit+.  Not the greatest option if you have a lot of sheets.

 

Based on this, I think that when possible it would be better to replace vector (and hatch) heavy underlays like maps with a rasterized PNG or JPG when feasible, keeping the vector data only in the portions that are needed.

 

Appreciate you looking at it @E|FA thank you. Yes, this is essentially the same thing that iLovePDF told me when it first happened to me several years ago. It is definitely a problem with how VW deals with vectors. Publishing as image is an option, it's just you lose definition doing this. The other option is to publish as PDF but lower the resolution, however go too far + Hatches start to go wonky. What's annoying is that I have similar maps to the one I sent you which were produced by others (in other software) + they are <1MB yet identical in terms of detail/quality...

 

I think I read somewhere that over time VW has optimised 3D performance at the expense of 2D so not sure if this is an example of that. My experience is that I can have a 2.5GB+ file crammed full of 3D geometry + performance is perfect until I try to zoom in on a complex Hatch + then VW starts stuttering... But perhaps that would improve if I upgraded my computer?