Huge jump in file size from xara file to PDF export

I have a (roughly) 8 1/2" x 11" double page spread (ie., two 8.5 x 11" pages side by side, plus bleed margins) that I'm trying to export as PDF. (I've attempted to attach the document to this post.)

Currently, no matter what I try, the files balloon in size upon export to PDF.

Each page contains one JPEG each, with a file size of roughly 1 mb, for a total of 2 mb, pre-PDF export.

I'm exporting as PDF/X, have disabled "optimize for fast web viewing" (this is for a book, going to press); in the objects tab I have kept the default of "native" compression, set at 85% quality, dpi is set at 300; in the layers tab I have disabled "include crop and printer marks in PDF document".

When I export in this manner, the resulting PDF is 17.5 mbs!

The printer I'm working with has a 400mb limit for the entire interior book file; at this rate, I can only have a 20 page book! Does anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong?

As an uncompressed CMYK image, those pages are each about 33 megabytes. Your page size appears to be manually accounting for bleed, so they are a touch larger than 8.5" x 11". Does the print establishment allow inside bleeds?

What exactly do you expect? If you want a smaller size, you would need to not have those pages as bitmaps. That would mean having vector elements for most of your page elements.

Mike

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Your page size appears to be manually accounting for bleed, so they are a touch larger than 8.5" x 11". Does the print establishment allow inside bleeds?

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You are correct about the bleed; I have edited my original post to correct that confusion. The printer establishment does allow inside bleeds, so that shouldn't be a problem.

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What exactly do you expect? If you want a smaller size, you would need to not have those pages as bitmaps. That would mean having vector elements for most of your page elements.

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I should have been more clear. I would like to print a 200 to 400 page book. The printer has a 400mb limit on interior file size. That means that in order to have a 200 page book I would have to reduce my file size to 4mb per two-page-spread (of which the file attached is a sample).

My question is, is there any way to export the file I have attached, in its current condition, as a PDF under 4 mb--and still retain the 300dpi quality?

Ok, I had a moment to take a look at the PDF export and to compare with ID and QXP after exporting your page-sized images at 300 dpi TIFFs.

If I use the PDF/X-3 profile from XDP using JPEG compression set to 100, I get a PDF of a bit over 5 megabytes. Using my PDF/X-4 profiles from either ID or QXP, the PDF tips the scales at a skosh over 6 megs. If that is not enough pages for your book, I would recommend finding another printer.

I have no idea how many pages you plan on having, but you can do the math. You'll be limited to about 66 of these types of pages to remain under 400 megs.

BTW, the optimize for fast web viewing means little to file size and has no result on the quality of the PDF. It's an XML instruction for how modern web browsers will load a PDF in the browser. It's a couple bytes of info is all.

Mike

We were cross-posting.

See my reply re the number of pages.

Mike

Oops. Seems I cannot use a calculator today. So the page count at the file size would allow a bit over 130 pages.

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Originally Posted by WideEyedLife

The printer I'm working with has a 400mb limit for the entire interior book file; at this rate, I can only have a 20 page book! Does anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong?

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I agree with mwenz here - find another printer. I have created 200+ page books (granted my books are 8.5 x 11), but for intended print work, with CMYK color, and PDFX/1a - 4, and my publication files are often hundreds of MB in size, yet its never been a problem. As far as I'm concerned, who cares how large the file is, because once its a printed book, MB mean absolutely nothing. I've never had a MB file size issue from any printer, and I work with many printers. Find another printer.

[Thank you so much for your continued help!]

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Originally Posted by mwenz

If I use the PDF/X-3 profile from XDP using JPEG compression set to 100, I get a PDF of a bit over 5 megabytes.

Mike

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The 5 megabyte file size sounds far better than the 17.5 I've been getting [the 17.5 was the file size for a PDF export of both pages of the two-page spread]. I tried to follow your instructions, and immediately saw the end result be a smaller file as soon as I used the PDF/x3 instead of the pdf/x1. But I think I may have done something wrong as my file isn't the 5 megabytes you spoke of, but rather 10.4.

Okay, so here's what I've done exactly:

In Xara Designer Pro 6, starting with the document exactly as it is in the attachment at the top of this forum topic:

*File--->
*Export--->
*Enter file name--->
*In the General Tab, I select "PDF/X3; 2002", and make no other changes in the general tab.
*In the Objects Tab, under "Bitmap Compression" I change "native" to "JPEG", then move the bar until it is set at "100". I make no other changes.
*I ignore the document, pre-press, and security tabs.
*In the "Layers" tab, I deselect "Include crop and printer marks"
*I hit "export"

The PDF file generated is 10,372 KB.

Have I missed something in the instructions? Or, in order to get the 5 megabyte file size, did you export the entire document (as in both the left and the right sides of the two page spread)---or does that number only represent 1 page (as in, either the left or the right hand side)?

Thanks so much for your help!

[Not quite ready to give up on this printer, quite yet.]

Though it doesn't always work, I find that my PDF files exported from Xara, then opened in Adobe Acrobat Pro can be optimized to further reduce file size.

you are using designer pro 6 ? - it's possible that the export filters for that version are not as 'efficient' as the later ones [mike I think uses ver 9, I use version 8]