creating pdf docs on mac

Hi.

On the pc (which I've now dumped), I could easily create a small file pdf doc (average size ca. 50 Kb) from a single page Word doc using Cute pdf.

On my new iMac, though it's simple to pdf a Word doc using the Print dialogue box, the file is FIVE TIMES the size of the doc created on the pc, which obviously has implications when emailing.

Is there a way to reduce the file size of a Word>PDF doc created in Mac OSX?

Save the file as PDF, and then open it with preview.
Click file>save as>Quartz Filter>Reduce Size.

Thanks for the reply. However, using Quartz Filter>reduce size on PDF'd documents results in exactly the same file size as previous! I thought changing docs with colour to Black&White> Quartz Filter>Reduce file size might make a difference- with the same result: no reduction in file size. (The original docs were all created in Word for Mac, then saved as PDF docs in the Print Dialogue Box).

Try using Word's built in PDF support. In the Save as Dialog box, choose PDF as the format. I tried it and the file was the same size but it may differ for you.

bionicjules said:

Thanks for the reply. However, using Quartz Filter>reduce size on PDF'd documents results in exactly the same file size as previous! I thought changing docs with colour to Black&White> Quartz Filter>Reduce file size might make a difference- with the same result: no reduction in file size. (The original docs were all created in Word for Mac, then saved as PDF docs in the Print Dialogue Box).

Click to expand...

I just saved an 852KB document in word as PDF to the desktop, which ended up at 856KB on the Desktop. I then opened it with Preview from the desktop, and reduced size with quartz filter, and it is now 119KB.

Just tried the same steps as above with a different doc, this time a 76KB document, as PDF went to 82KB, and next step took it to 78KB.

and again with a 750KB doc, saved to desktop as PDF which took it to 1.8MB, then after opening with preview and reducing size with quartz filter, it was reduced to 53KB.

I don't know why, but the behavior is different for different docs.

???

hmm Thanks again, 6string... interesting. I looked into vansmith's suggestion (for which thanks), but my version of Word for Mac shows no PDF option in the Save As dialogue box. Anyhow, I'm still not going back to that bloody pc...

I've just tried quartz filter>reduce file size on a PDF doc 344B. It went up to 7.6MB !! Some reduction. Good job I've got a sense of humour.

.. I meant, of course, 344KB

I've been using CUPS-PDF and it works pretty well. Give this a shot and see if it does a better job creating manageable PDF sizes from your documents..

Regards

Thanks, RazOrEdge. The (CUPS) PDF printer, now added to my list of printers, seems to have no effect on the file size of single-page PDF docs. However, I've just found that the quartz filter, suggested earlier by 6string, while reducing the file size of multi-page PDF docs, mysteriously increases the size of a single page PDF doc! I appear to be entering the Twilight Zone...

Hmm..this is strange indeed..I will experiment with this at home tonight and report back what I see with CUPS-PDF..

Regards