topic Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file in Documentation

A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Anonymous — Fri, 19 May 2023 20:21:47 GMT

I am having trouble sending A10 PDF through e-mail as it is to large. How can you compress or zip file an A10 PDF?

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

TomWaltz — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:53:04 GMT

PDFs are already a compressed format. It's unlikely that running a PDF through a zipping program would have much effect.

Since Archicad PDFs are vector, the only way to cut down on their size is by putting less in them. I often find cutting down on the density of wall fills helps a lot.

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Stress Co_ — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:28:25 GMT

Here's a couple of options to send a too large file:

www.yousendit.com

www.sendthisfile.com

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

__archiben — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 22:44:38 GMT

you should really invest in the full version of adobe acrobat: with PDFs now the predominant electronic archiving/issuing format there really is no excuse not to.

the full version of acrobat has a pretty good PDF optimising function that rips file sizes right down without forsaking quality. it also has some great reviewing and collaborating tools . . .

~/archiben

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

PB — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:14:37 GMT

archiben,

Thanks for the advice.

I am currently facing this PDF size dilemma: An A0 drawing of elevations/sections that is published as a 75Mb doc! Would you mind clarifying the following re. Adobe software?

- Is the 'full' software seamlesly integrated into the AC11 publisher software, or is it a 'post publication' intervention using only the Adobe software?

- Indication of the scale of file size reduction you have experienced.

Many thanks,

PB

PS I shall, of course, visit the Adobe website, but I am not anticipating such detailed info regarding 3rd party software integration....but, Imay be pleasantly surprised!

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Chazz — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:33:28 GMT

The full version of Acrobat allows you to open a PDF created by ArchiCAD and reduce the file size somewhat. Generating a PDF using the full Adobe drivers and workflow may also result in lower file sizes initially. Scale and sheet size do not affect file size. What counts is how many lines (vectors) you have. Placed graphics (rasters) and even placed PDFs inside your project will also add to PDF file size.

A few observations about PDF workflow and architecture:

1) ArchiCAD makes sickeningly large PDF files. It is just not efficient at making PDFs as other apps.
2) I'm with Ben. Everyone doing this gig needs to invest in the full Acrobat product. It is incredibly useful, well beyond ArchiCAD.
3) The best way to reduce file size is to break the file up into several chunks of 3-10 pages apiece
4) Working with Architectural PDFs means email is a lousy method of document communication. Invest the time and (not very much) $$ to set up a good secure FTP site.

HTH.

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

PB — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:04:39 GMT

Thank you Chazz,

Adobe Acrobat it shall be............

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:41:26 GMT

Hello PB,

I notice that you have a Mac, so there is one more (free) option to adjust compression of the images in the PDF;

1] Open an Automator workflow on your Mac at "Library -> PDF Services..."

2] Double click "Compress PDF.workflow" to open it with Automator

3] Adjust the compression

4] "Save As..."

5] The new workflow can be found in the printing dialog under "PDF"

--
Hope it helps

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:43:03 GMT

I take a different approach. I upload my PDF's to an internet storage site and send an email to my client, consultant, etc advising them how to access the file. The email is sent from within the internet storage site. It costs about $4 per month to have this facility. I use Iomega Istorage which I have always found to be satisfactory. It only takes a few minutes, can work in the background, to upload the file and also can act as an extra backup facility. It takes the frustration and time wasting out of trying to reduce file sizes.

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:43:46 GMT

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:48:42 GMT

If you buy the Acrobat I think that you get also an "Adobe PDF" printer, which brings resolution settings straight to the printing dialog;

I had this with Adobe CS or Acrobat- can't be sure but works fine in any case.

--
Juha

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

PB — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 07:20:48 GMT

Thanks Juha & Graeme,

I shall investigate both options: I must admit, I've not yet looked at, nor attempted any automator actions....could be very useful.

Do the compressions adversely affect document quality? I understand from other posts that the PDF output from ArchiCad is vectoral so, provided this is not translated to some other form, the content/quality should remain unaltered (?!)....

Its a shame I am curently working in the middle-of-nowhere in rural France without easy broadband access ...... 56K is very, very frustrating!

Thanks again,

PB

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Thomas Holm — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:25:30 GMT

Chazz wrote:
1) ArchiCAD makes sickeningly large PDF files. It is just not efficient at making PDFs as other apps.

I find this completely wrong. Used with care, Archicad makes small, efficient and speedy pdfs.
- Avoid including bitmaps (scanned images, jpgs, logos etc, if possible create your logos for use within Archicad with Archiacad's tools!)
- Avoid hatch patterns and fills (each short hatch line in a wall takes space in the pdf) Use solid fills instead.
- Avoid bitmapped fills and patterns.
- Avoid complicated and crowded vector fills and patterns too - if needed, scale them up so they don't crowd the file
- Don't use percentage fills. Use solid fills with lighter colors instead. Example: Instead of a percentage fill with a black color, use a solid fill with a grey color.
- Be careful when using hatch and symbol line types. Note that a solid grey line uses far less space in the pdf, but might look almost exactly like a tight dotted line type.
- And finally: Avoid Cigraph's Archisketchy. It ruins pdfs.

2) I'm with Ben.

Me too. Use Acrobat's Minimize Filesize option - it often does wonders, especially if your pdf contains bitmaps.

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Jefferson — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 20:20:44 GMT

Hey Ben & Thomas -

Would you mind posting some screen shots of the dialogue boxes, [i.e. the tabbing-selction process you work through / selection], to optimize-shrink your PDF file size output...........I am playing with a demo and can't say I'm getting substantially different results. In fact mostly what I am seeing is the spinnning Acrobat logo thing, without output. Since it sounds like you are having good results with Acrobat Pro, using it as an additional print driver, I am considering the purchase, but if I can't get results I need..........well you get it.

My cover sheets usually are comprised of a couple of decent size perspective sketch renderings and the four shaded and hatched elevations, and 2 .jpegs, client name & my logo. I get that these are all offending contributors, but it used to work, ya know? Usually this is not too bad, mostly because I work hard to squeeze them onto 24x18 sheets. Current project is 36x24 and file sizes are hujungo, 17+MB up to 21MB or so. This is just the cover sheet........ And the real problem, aside from the email prohibitions, slow rendering in Acrobat Reader, let alone slow client computers, is my new snazzy printer, [HP T610], even with processing running through the computer is, well, overampping if you will. Just gives up after a long, long try time.

In my attempts to work around this I have tried publishing it as a DWG and printing from AutoBAD, file size drops to 5MB or so, and all shows up in preview but shadowing is lost on actual print............probably pilot error, but don't want to really learn how to drive that thing! And no point in that.

I would really appreciate the input. Thanks in advance mates!
note: still using ver 10......

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Jefferson — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:16:52 GMT

still working on it here.........[I have screen shots, but can't seem to upload currently, hey, why not ]........a few interesting things. If you save a new publisher set to print, and use the Amyuni [how the hellll do you pronounce that???], you have the option to set the DPI anywhere in the range you want, 72 to like 1200 or something, BUT, it then doesn't seem to recognize the PDF print option as PDFs.........huh

Conversely if you select PDF as out as a publisher set you have the option to merge the file into one, I absolutely want this option...........hoping someione knows the ins and outs or possibility of merging the best of these two publisher sets, 'cause I am not finding it......

My current saving-work-around is saving my intense cover sheet as a separate output file at 150 DPI, which looks fine, redraws in reasonable time AND my printer can handle it. So I am least that much farther ahead.

Does Acrobat Pro allow file merging? I have given up messing with it for now..........

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Jefferson — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:01:45 GMT

following up on my conversation with myself.............perserverance............keep digging and you'll find the offending ingredient. It's your shadow fill dumb$h......

Cut my overall .PLN file size nearly in half simoteanously and now it all appears ready to print @ 300DPI, albeit slowly

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Thomas Holm — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 16:12:37 GMT

Jeff, sorry, I haven't seen your post until now... still when you talk to yourself, there's less risk of starting an argument!

I don't have to post any screenshots. In Acrobat, I just use the File>Shrink File Size command. (It might be called something different, I use the Swedish version).

That's all.

But I'm on the Mac.

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Jefferson — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:03:11 GMT

still when you talk to yourself, there's less risk of starting an argument!

ain't the truth!! Thanks Thomas. I'll give it a go.

Re: A10 PDF how to compress or Zip file

Jefferson — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:19:12 GMT

Thomas I found the optimizer, worked my way through the dialogue, and achieved interesting and unpredictable results. Sometimes it punched out an identical file size, sometimes it wouldn't do it all, sometimes it actually made it larger! I also tried optimizing via the merge files path and achieved similar results. Leaving me somewhat confused, yet still intrigued. Printing straight out of ArchiCAD nets small file sizes, just not merged. Looks as though this is yet another piece of software to learn to drive...........oh boy

I have posted this:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/posting.php
hoping for some input how others do this.

thanks again!