PDF from PowerPoint - Suddenly Low-Res, Huge File

[gtowncaniac]

Hi everyone,

I've encountered a perplexing issue that has suddenly come up when converting a PowerPoint to a PDF (in Notes View). For over a year, I have been printing PowerPoint presentations to PDFs in Notes View with no issues. Now, as of a couple of days ago, when I print to PDF, the process takes twice as long, outputs as an EMORMOUS file (like, 200MB), and the actual slide section on the notes page is all 1 flat/raster image, and is pixelated (the text, images, everything). Before, the slide section was text, vector shapes, and images, and the file size was very manageable (more like 4MB). There have been NO changes to the settings - still high-quality print, letter-size, notes view.  I have tried so many things to figure this out & fix it, to no avail.

I'm using Windows 10 OS. If anyone can shed some light on this, I would be so grateful, as my job depends on this and the projects are time-sensitive!

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com · Accepted solution]

Have you checked the "printer options" in File/Print?

Click the blue link Printer Properties and choose the Standard default settings.

You can edit Standard for different aspects, such as color, resolution of raster/bitmapped graphics, etc.

By default, Print to PDF builds into the file the same rasterized data that is sent to a laser or inkjet printer...so items can become fuzzy, pixelated, and with humongous file sizes.

Whenever possible, use the Acrobat Ribbon to export a PDF (or File / Save As and choose PDF) as this keeps the text "live" and crisp. But you might not find options within the Acrobat Ribbon Preferences to have slides and speaker notes.

A method that will do this is to export to PDF but with the Microsoft "save as" utility, not Adobe's. (uh-oh, this is an Adobe forum! )

1. File / Save As
2. Select PDF in the Save as type menu.
3. Select the Options button in that dialogue box.
4. In the Options, select Notes Pages from the Publish What drop-down menu.
5. Set any other items you need.
6. Click OK, and save the new PDF.

Hope this helps.