How to Optimize PDF Files
Portable Document Format (PDF) files are a popular way of sending large amounts of text and images online. Most e-books are in PDF format for that reason. However, using large amounts of text or images in a PDF creates a large file size, and this makes it difficult to download the file. One way to shrink a PDF's size is to optimize it before posting it online. Optimizing consists of several steps to get rid of excess file data and limit a PDF's size.
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Instructions
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Use text rather than images whenever possible. Images take up more file space than text, so rather than creating a fancy text effect using an image, swap it for text. This will make the PDF smaller and faster to download.
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Use vector graphics instead of bitmaps. Not only do vector graphics scale better than bitmaps, they take up less space than bitmaps.
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Compress bitmaps if you must use them. Some images, such as photographs or images you pull off the Internet, aren't easily converted into vectors. If this is the case, open them up in graphics-editing software and compress the file size as much as possible.
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Limit the number of fonts and colors in the document. Every font and color used adds more space to the PDF. Reduce the number of fonts in the document, and convert the document to grayscale if colors are unnecessary.
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Use your PDF software's optimizer options. Many PDF programs give optimization options, either under one of the menus or when you choose "Save As" to save your file. Adobe Acrobat, for example, has a PDF optimizer under the "Advanced" menu. This allows you to get rid of any junk data, such as excess code and empty text boxes.
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