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A
Anonymous
February 17, 2017
Question

Pdf export bigger than original file size

  • February 17, 2017
  • 7 replies
  • 9295 views

Hi, I'm having a problem while exporting an indesign to .pdf

I have a page with a text and a jpeg link, the jpeg link is 917 kb while the exported pdf is 1,2 mb. The settings for exporting are bicubic downsampling to 200 dpi.

I've tried exporting the page with the text only and it is 24 kb, while exporting with the image only is still 1,2 mb.

So my question is, how is it possible that a .pdf ends up being bigger than the original link?

Thanks

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    7 replies

    D
    designedbyjch
    Participant
    May 19, 2020

    I chose to remove my reply.

    jmlevy
    Community Expert
    jmlevyCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 19, 2020

    This thread is one year old (for the last answer).  And what you write is quite difficult to understand:

    1. if you need a PDF, why do you export your indd file as a jpeg than convert it to PDF with Acrobat? Export it directly to PDF from InDesign
    2. it is absolutely impossible that changing color space produces a PDF with a different physical size. 
    D
    designedbyjch
    Participant
    May 19, 2020

     I chose to remove my reply.

    arik-liberman
    arik-liberman
    Participant
    March 8, 2018

    I bet he's not talking about images but about the whole artboard:
    What should we do to get the same artboard size for both JPG and PDF? (for a PDF that is intended to be shown on screens, not print.

    Thanks

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 17, 2017

    Here's an example that shows how InDesign doesn't use the jpeg's starting compression. The top two items are the same image saved as a PSD at 26.6 MB and a low quality JPEG at 659K. Exporting them to PDF/X-4 with compression and resampling turned off results in the same 29.5 MB file size—the JPEG's original compression has no effect on the export:

    A
    Anonymous
    February 17, 2017

    Actually if I save the jpeg with lower quality the pdf exported decrease in size.

    I've tried saving the psd as jpeg at 12 quality and 4 quality. I then exported the two versions and the size where 1,7 mb and 1 mb.

    And I've tried exporting with no compression, the file size increases...

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 17, 2017

    I've tried saving the psd as jpeg at 12 quality and 4 quality. I then exported the two versions and the size where 1,7 mb and 1 mb.

    Right because the 4 quality compression would rearrange the pixels creating compression blocks and would no longer have the detail that an uncompressed or 12 quality compression would have. You would get some additional compression the second time around because of the repeating pixel blocks caused by the first compression. The quality 4 image and the quality 12 image don't have the same pixel structure and are two different images. It's just not worth doing the double compression.

    The reason I exported with no compression in my example was to show that InDesign doesn't pass the placed JPEG's compression benefit on to the PDF.

    rob day
    Community Expert
    rob dayCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 17, 2017

    So my question is, how is it possible that a .pdf ends up being bigger than the original link?

    When you place a  .jpeg and export to a PDF, InDesign doesn't consider the original compression—the pixels are re-compressed to the settings you use in the PDF export dialog. It would be similar to saving the jpeg with a low quality compression in Photoshop, closing the file, reopening, and resaving with a high quality compression. The resaved file's size would increase, and you would still have the low quaility compression artifacts baked in from the first save.

    So there's virtually no benefit in placing .jpegs vs .psd, when you place jpegs there may be a double compression

    J
    Community Expert
    Jeffrey_SmithCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 17, 2017

    You are most likely using compression as well, and the combination of resampling and compression can actually create an image larger than the original. One thing to try when exporting, select "None" in compression setting.

    J
    Community Expert
    Jeffrey_SmithCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 17, 2017

    Here is an image that demonstrates how resampling to a smaller pixel size could make an image larger in file size. The 4x4 image on left has 4 contiguous sections of color. Resize to a 3x3 image, every neighboring pixel is different. Although smaller in pixel count, larger in color depth. Compression schemes work the best with larger areas of contiguous pixels.

    After I thought about this, the suggestion of turning off compression in previous post probably will make file larger, not smaller.

    jane-e
    Community Expert
    jane-eCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 17, 2017

    What settings are you using? Which preset, and what modifications to the preset??

    Erica Gamet
    Erica Gamet
    Inspiring
    February 17, 2017

    Is the JPEG an RGB image, but you're exporting to CMYK? Are you embedding the fonts (though the text-only sample you did seems to say not)? Are there other objects in the ID file that are adding to the space issue?

    A
    Anonymous
    February 17, 2017

    The jpeg is rgb as the pdf i'm exporting.

    I've also tried creating a new indesign file, adding the jpeg only and exporting. Still the pdf is 1.2 mb.

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