Creating smaller PDF files

[steve@apeplayground.com]

I am having a problem with creating PDF's that are small enough to email.

If I export to PDF from Vectorworks I get great quality images, but my file sizes are getting way too big.

I've tried printing & saving to PDF, which does create smaller file sizes but the image quality goes down significantly. I get an almost black outlined look to the images.

Not sure if anyone else has experienced this, but I would love some help or suggestions.

Thanks!

Steve

[CipesDesign]

Steve, please create signature which includes your OS and VW's versions and any other relevant info. Without more info it will be very difficult to help. Thanks!

[Jim Smith]

Have you tried to reduce the DPi?

[Stephen Comber]

Hi Steve,

Not sure what profession you are in but our (landscape) office produces some very graphically complex drawings with lots of hatches, fills and symbols. We get a few complaints from Architects offices that our .pdfs take a long time to regenerate on the screen usually because of some of the hatches we use.

As a rule we try to keep the .pdfs under 10Mb for emailing.

The best way that I have found, so far, is to use the 'Export PDF' function and then reduce the file size further using Adobe Acrobat's 'Reduce File Size' command. It seems to keep most of the intended clarity without 'greying' objects.

Creating a 'postscript file' using VW print manager and then compressing it with Distiller is the best way for producing really small file sizes but we find that it gives a very 'washed out' final product.

As previously suggested experiment with the DPI output.

Edited February 8, 2011 by Ettienne

[Cadplan Architecture]

On a Mac I select PRINT then SAVE AS PDF, they often come out quite large particularly with images involved so I also open the created PDF in Acrobat and select SAVE AS, then REDUCE FILE SIZE. This really squishes them. You can also try reducing the export resolution from VW in document preferences.

[Andrew Davies]

I have a lot of hybrid objects which only look nice in the unshaded poly mode of a viewport.

Yet this creates a HUGE PDF file. I opened in Adobe Acrobat, saved as a reduced size PDF, and it made the file even bigger!!!

Any other ideas??

[cad@sggsa]

I have a lot of hybrid objects which only look nice in the unshaded poly mode of a viewport.

Yet this creates a HUGE PDF file. I opened in Adobe Acrobat, saved as a reduced size PDF, and it made the file even bigger!!!

Any other ideas??

In Adobe Acrobat Pro:-

Save as: For internet use/files

[cad@sggsa]

Good day All

I seem to experience a similar problom with PDF's being to big.

I only have Adobe Reader 9 and the Quick PDF Tools with PDF Complete.

When Print to PDF, it saves the PDF with some "Not Allowed" functions which makes it not possible to merge in Quick PDF Tools.

Can't seem to find where to edit that all is Allowed.

I need to be able to combine multiple PDF files into one and not be to big to send via email.

Any work around for decreasing File size when not having Adobe Acrobat Pro and still keeping a reasonoble DPI of say 250-300?

Have not tried Exporting to see the differencee in File size, but from above posts it seems to be bigger.

Thanks for any responces

[cad@sggsa]

BUMP