How to crop PDF files ??

[Anonymous]

Well, this isn't specifically an ArchiCAD problem.

I use scanned bitmap PDF files in my ArchiCAD files. Often these are cropped from multipage PDF files in Acrobat Pro.

The problem is that any cropped drawing (a detail, for example), when made into a file, the file size is no smaller than the original file.

That is to say: the cropped drawing is the same file as the original multipage file, but only the viewport has changed.

I can 'extract' the relevant page from the multipage PDF and then crop it, but it is still large as that full page. This also puts and extra stage in dealing with these files.

Is there a way to actually CROP the PDF, losing all uneeded data, quickly? Acrobat Pro can't seem to be able to do this with scanned bitmap files.

[TomWaltz]

In Adobe Pro, after you crop, perform a "Save as" instead of a "Save." It will remove any extra data that you cropped or pages that were deleted.

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom.

Er, are you sure? That's what I do. I have tried all the different types of Crop type in Acrobat too: crop, trim, bleed, art.

It seems whatever I do, the extra data is there, and only the viewport changes. The best I can do is 'extract' the relevant page from a mutipage file - but even then, a cropped detail on that page still has the rest of the page in the file.

Remember that I am only talking about scanned bitmaps, so Acrobat seems to be treating the whole page or muiltpage file as an element.

[Anonymous]

have you tried "PDF Optimizer" under the advanced... menu? At least that's where it is under Acrobat 6. That should throw out any extra datas left over from things like cropping if the save as doesn't get it...

[TomWaltz]

SuperJasE wrote:
Hi Tom.

Er, are you sure? That's what I do. I have tried all the different types of Crop type in Acrobat too: crop, trim, bleed, art.

It seems whatever I do, the extra data is there, and only the viewport changes. The best I can do is 'extract' the relevant page from a mutipage file - but even then, a cropped detail on that page still has the rest of the page in the file.

Remember that I am only talking about scanned bitmaps, so Acrobat seems to be treating the whole page or muiltpage file as an element.

Maybe I'm wrong. I know it works with removing and replacing pages and thought that it applied to cropping as well. I know Adobe uses non-destructive editing for cropping, but I thought the "Save as" made it permanent... maybe not?

[Steve Jepson]

SuperJasE,

IBM XT 4.77mhz, 360k 5.25, Floppy, 10MB HDD, 640k RAM, MS-DOS 3.3, mouse.

Do you need a Math Co-processor with that?

[Djordje]

Steve wrote:
SuperJasE,

IBM XT 4.77mhz, 360k 5.25, Floppy, 10MB HDD, 640k RAM, MS-DOS 3.3, mouse.

Do you need a Math Co-processor with that?

Yes he does!

At least, I did for AutoCAD 2.62 back in 1988 ...

[Steve Jepson]

What is the modern day equivalant of a math co-processor ?

[TomWaltz]

Steve wrote:
What is the modern day equivalant of a math co-processor ?

There isn't one, really. There's a lot more than a CPU in a "processor" anymore, and the math part is not really though of as a separate element.

[Steve Jepson]

Thanks Tom, I was curious about that.

SuperJasE,

Instead of cropping your PDF's why don't you just change the size of your viewport window and change the scale?