29/5/2015 How to Reduce the File Size of a PDF Using Preview Rev A NosillaCast

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HowtoReducetheFileSizeofaPDFUsingPreviewRevA

EvercreatedaPDFwithimagesonlytodiscoverthefilewashuge?UsingPreviewyoucanshrinkthefileeasilybutthequalityfotheimages

willbedreadful.Backin2012,JosefHabrfiguredoutacleverwaytoeditsomeSystemlevelLibraryfilestoimprovethequalityofthe

imageswhenusingPreviewtocompressthefilesandpostedthemonhttp://hints.macworld.com.Hespentsometimecomingupwithsome

optionsforgood,better,andbestimagequalitytoo.Afterhepostedthis,someoneelsepointedoutthatinsteadofeditingtheSystem

Libraryfiles,youcouldaccomplishthesamethingusingtheColorSyncutility.WhileusingtheColorSyncUtilityisgreatforcreatingthe

modifiedfilters,manyhavereportedthatyoustillhavetomovethefiltersintotheSystemlevelLibrarytomakethemtake.

Basicoutlineofthestepswillbe:

1. ShowhowthedefaultReduceFileSizeoptionisaccessedinPreview

2. UseColorSyncUtilitytocreategood,betterandbestfilters

3. CopythenewlycreatedfiltersintotheSystemlevelLibrary

4. VerifythatthenewfiltersareavailableinPreview

Onecautionwhenyoureinstallorupgradeyouroperatingsystem,thesefilterswillberemoved,sokeepacopyofthistutorialandacopy

ofyourfiltersaswellsoyoucanputthembackforlateruse.

1.DefaultReduceFileSizeinPreview

OpenaPDFinPreviewandchooseSaveAs

YoumayneedtoholddowntheOptionkeybeforeyouclickonFiletogettheSaveAsmenutoappear.

1.1TapontheQuartzFilterPulldown

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1.2ChooseReduceFileSize

Thisoptionmightworkforyourneed,buttheimagequalitywillbeprettypoor.WeregoingtoaddthreemoreoptionstothelistforGood,

BetterandBest,allofwhichwilllookmuchbetterthanthedefault.

2.SettingUpColorSyncUtility

ColorSyncUtilityishidinginApplications/Utilities

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2.1ReduceFileSize(Default)

Weregoingtomakeacopyofthedefaultfilter.Tapthedisclosuretriangleonthelefttoviewtheoptions.

2.2DefaultsforReduceFileSize

Toduplicatethefilter,tapthedisclosuretriangleonthefarright.

2.3ChooseDuplicateFilter

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2.4OpentheDuplicateandEdit1. ChangethenametoReduceFileSizeGood

2. ChangeScaleto25%

3. ChangetheImageMaxto842Pixels(thatsA4at72ppi)

2.5GoodFilter

YourGoodfiltershouldlookliketheimagebelow.Repeatthisprocesstwomoretimes.

1. CreateafiltercalledReduceFileSizeBetter,settheScaleto50%,ImageMaxSizeto1684(A4at144dpi)

2. CreateafiltercalledReduceFileSizeBest,settheScaleto75%,ImageMaxSizeto3508(A4at300dpi)

2.6ThreeFilters

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3.MovingFilterstoYourSystemlevelLibrary

3.1NavigatetoyourUserLibrary

IntheFinder,holddowntheOptionkeyandclickonGo.TheOptionkeyrevealstheLibraryfolderallowingyoutoselectit.

3.2NavigatetotheFiltersfolder

InsideyouruserLibraryyoushouldnowseeaFiltersfolderwithyourthreenewfilters.Ifyoudont,makesurethatatthetopofthewindow

yousee:

/Users/yourusername/Library/Filters

NotethatthisfoldermaynotexistbeforeyouuseColorSynctocreatethesefilters.

3.3CopytheFiltersFromtheUserLibrary

Selectthethreenewfilters,andcopythem.

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3.4NowWereGoingtoNavigatetotheSystemlevelLibrary

HolddowntheCommandkeywhiletappingonthefolderpathatthetopofyourFinderwindow.Thislittletrickletsyouquicklynavigateto

yourharddisk(mineiscalledPiggy,yoursmaybecleverlynamedorsimplybecalledMacintoshHD).

3.5Navigateto/System/Library/Filters

Pasteyournewfiltersintothe/System/Library/Filters.Notethatyoushouldseethedefaultfiltersasshownbelow.Ifyoudontseethe

defaults,youmayhaveincorrectlychosen/Librarydontpastethemthere!

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3.6Authenticateasanadministrator

3.7YouShouldSeeYourNewFiltersinPlace

4.VerifyOpenYourDocumentinPreview

ChooseFile,SaveAs

4.1UnderQuartzFilter,YouShouldNowSeeYourNewFilters

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