Why is my PDF size from my InDesign export still large?

[Guest]

I'm doing class project that is a four-page, seven-image document with very little text. The project must be submitted as a PDF under 300 KB. However, when I export the document under the smallest file size preset and with the compression rates down to 72 dpi, I get a PDF that is 612 KB.

All my classmates are able to get it under 300 KB, so I'm confused as to why mine is so large. I'm using 5 JPGs and 2 GIFs, and each take up a 5in by 5in square in the document. They are relatively really small pictures (avg. 250 KBS) and I've even re-saved all to be under 100 KB, but the PDF size only drops to around 500 KB I transferred between InDesign CC on Mac and InDesign CS5 on Windows and wonder if that is a concern.

[Guest]

Hi danegonzalez,

It's odd that your file is that big.  What was the size of your PDF if you chose the default "smallest file size" preset (without changing any settings)?

[Guest]

It's 701 KB

[Guest]

Did you happen to apply any effects on the images, like drop shadows, by chance?

[Guest]

No, I didn't have any, I double checked and there was nothing.

[Guest]

You may be able to get a lead from David Blatner's article, "Drop 20 Pounds with InDesign."  There's a few more things you could check or try: like make sure CMYK profiles aren't included (figure 5 in the article), or Save As and replace your current InDesign file (first tip from the article).  I hope one of David's tips help you.  Please let me know what worked or didn't work.  If you have Acrobat, your fastest solution may be to optimize your PDF with it.

Edit:  Or you could send your CS5 InDesign file to me and I can diagnose it.

[Guest]

Yeah, I did have the color profiles on, but I tried both and it still remained the same size. Where can I attach the file so you can look at it?

[Guest]

Just sent you a PM with my email.  I hope I can help you figure out the issue.

[Willi Adelberger]

Never use GIF in InDesign. What for?

If you can choose betwen vector and pixel, choose vector.

Use PDF, AI and PSD for placing images.

[Guest]

I resized in Photoshop and saved them all as JPGs around 50KB each and the size of the PDF is still around 600KB. And I then saved them all as PSDs and relinked them and the file size went up to 726KB.

[BobLevine]

What is the purpose of this exercise? There is zero reason to try and get

a PDF file that small.

[Guest]

Well, since it is a class project, my teacher wants to combine all the documents into one that won't take up a bunch of space. So we're supposed to do a PDF export under the [smallest file size] preset and specify 72 dpi in the compression rates. When my classmates did it, all of their PDFs are under 300KB naturally with no problem. However, mine was the only one that was high.

[Test Screen Name]

What is the effective resolution of your images as placed?

Effective e.g. if you place a 600 dpi image at 50% the effective resolution is 300 dpi.

Perhaps your classmates are using a smaller effective resolution.

[Guest]

They are all around 70-72, except one of them has an effective dpi of 81.

[Peter Spier]

Test Screen Name wrote:

What is the effective resolution of your images as placed?

Effective e.g. if you place a 600 dpi image at 50% the effective resolution is 300 dpi.

Not to quibble,but if you place at 50%, the effective PPI doubles, not halves, so 600 ppi actual placed at 50% is 1200 ppi effective.

It shouldn't affect the size that much, but 81 ppi images won't be downsampled to 72...

Finally, do your classmates have as many images? Are they all raster, or did they use vector images?

[Guest]

Yes, they all have 7 images that each fill up a 5x5 inch square, and they are all raster, and many of those images are much larger images than mine. In fact after all the re-sizing, I have the smallest image sizes of the whole class, yet I still have a PDF that is nearly triple in size.

[Peter Spier]

danegonzalez wrote:

All my classmates are able to get it under 300 KB, so I'm confused as to why mine is so large.

Have you asked any of them how they did it?

[Test Screen Name]

You say five pictures, each 250K? Certainly wouldn't expect the PDF to be smaller than its component JPEG graphics, why would you?

[Guest]

I resized in Photoshop and saved them all as JPGs around 50KB each and the size of the PDF is still around 600KB. All my classmates have much large file sizes, my professor said even her images were 1-2MB, but after exporting with the [smallest file size] preset and the compression rates set to 72 dbi, everyone's PDF came out under 300KB.

[Test Screen Name]

That still doesn't answer the question. The file size is not ineresting. The effective resolution is all that matters. What is it?

[Guest]

The effective resolution of all of them is 70-81 dpi.

[Test Screen Name]

Ok, well, if the effective resolution is 72 dpi or less the image won't have any detail removed, and I'd expect the resulting PDF to be about the same size as the images.  Going up to 81 dpi, well that would be reduced to 72 dpi but that's not much difference. Maybe you are placing bigger than other people, or your images compress less well.

[Guest]

Yes, we were all given the same instructions. We're supposed to select the [smallest file size] preset and set compression rates to 72 dpi. I've done the same thing over and over, and get the same 600KB PDF, while they all have their PDFs under 300KB on the first try.

[Test Screen Name]

That doesn't answer my question, sorry.

[Guest]

After my file was looked at by maiyo8, he found that 80% of the PDF file size was in the images, which would mean it makes up about 624KB out of the 713KB. Even after optimizing in Acrobat Pro, he was only able to get it under 500KB.