Skip to main content
Inspiring
December 5, 2010
Answered

Reduce file size Acrobat X

  • December 5, 2010
  • 22 replies
  • 920433 views

What happened to the Document > Reduce File Size command that used to be in Acrobat 9?

For that matter, I don't see the PDF Optimizer command either.

What are the methods used in Acrobat X to reduce file size?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer George_Johnson

George,

Thanks for your reply. Our posts must have crossed each other about the command being moved to the file menu. Do you know if PDF Optimizer is still available for Acrobat X?


Yes, choose "File > Save As > Optimized PDF...", as opposed to "File > Save As > Reduced Size PDF...".

22 replies

greenlands14
New Participant
September 15, 2014

Been struggling with this one for a while, finally found somewhat of a solution though this might have been mentioned before somewhere above.

Reduce you PDF down using the Reduced Size PDF...function in Acrobat, save it as a Word doc then open it in Word and save as PDF (making sure to select the 'Optimize for: Minimum Size' option before you click Publish).

Long winded yes, but it took my 32mb PDF down to 4mb. Worth noting that I went with saving it as a Microsoft PDF for this, choosing the Adobe PDF option within Word made it around 8mb so both options are useful.

uwfotog
New Participant
September 15, 2014

I have Adobe Reader 9, and I don't have the "Save As" option under File.

Any other suggestions??

Thank you in advance

Bernd Alheit
Adobe Expert
September 15, 2014

Adobe Reader can't reduce file size.

uwfotog
New Participant
September 15, 2014

Thank you, Bernd Alheit, Test Screen Name and greenlands14.

New Participant
June 6, 2014

Something that works for me is to open the PDF, then print it to Adobe PDF (you will need to give it a new file name).  The print usually comes out at about 10% of the original file size.

Participating Frequently
June 25, 2014

Install Cute PDF Writer. It will be a "printer" that will actually create a PDF file on your drive in the directory you choose. I got my file size reduced under half when I just used that now.

New Participant
June 25, 2014

Got to File/Save As/Reduced File PDF

hope it works

New Participant
May 13, 2013

I don't see this in any of the answers but the only way I have been able to reduce the size of the pdf is to do the following:

  1. Select the document
  2. Select the menu DOCUMENT
  3. Select the OPTIMIZED SCANNED PDF option

I used the following options:  Deskew:  automatic, Background Removal: Low; Edge Shadow Removal: Cautious; Despeckle:  Low; Descreen: Automatic; Halo: on

I just tried a 5.87 mb pdf and got it down to 387 kb.  I did not have images in the document.

New Participant
August 6, 2013

For those who were having a problem with the fonts making the file size huge, I made a discovery.

If you go to Save As Optimized PDF, it will pull up a PDF Optimizer box. Go to the fonts section.

My document was embedding duplicate fonts every time I made an update.

I unembedded all the duplicate fonts and saved. It reduced the file size from 10.8 MB to 2.5 MB

Inspiring
August 6, 2013

That is a good reason to try Save As rather than Save. Might solve the problem.

New Participant
April 8, 2013

You can save the file as JPEG2000 (File -> SaveAs -> Image -> JPEG2000. And you can play aroung with resolution and compression as other people suggested earlier. Each page will be saved as a different file. Then create a new PDF from these files (File -> Create -> Combine Files into a Single PDF ). In Acrobat 9 I saw 10-20 times better compression than Reduce File. I did not not have a change to test that extensively in Acrobat 10, but simple test still resulted in a better compression.

New Participant
January 11, 2013

For those trying to find this option in Acrobat XI it's under File > Save as Other. Way to go, Adobe, for once again taking a great, efficient tool and making it much harder to use. Also makes files twice as big as the old Reduce File Size option in Acrobat 9. Useless.

Participating Frequently
September 23, 2011

Something is seriously messed up with Acrobat. I have Acrobat X Pro. I had an xps file that I wanted to convert to pdf. It was 53 pages with some text and a lot of white space. The xps file was 471 KB. When I printed it to pdf, it was 30 MB! After trying both file-reduce size and optimizing the file size, it either increased to 37MB or did not decrease a single KB. I finally went to a web site that converts between xps and pdf. The pdf file it created was 1.1 MB. Visually it looks fine, the same as the xps file.

How can there be that much bloat in printing the pdf from the xps file, and how can the reduce file/optimize file not remove the bloat?

Participating Frequently
August 19, 2011

I originall posted a question about the file size of these PDF's Acrobat X produces. I looked for a couple of days and cannot figure out how to make these files smaller. Not to bash the software but it almost useless to have files this large when you are emailing PDF's.

I guess I'm having a hard time understanding why the files are so big for my simple little invoice. That's all it is.  I produce large format high res graphics in PDF's and they are not this big. ( 24 MB )

I realize this comparison is like apples and oranges but MS Word also has a save as PDF option produces nice and tidy lightweight PDF's that can be emailed. This file should be no more that 100kb, but it comes out of Acrobat @ 24 MB.????

So if you are flattening the document and locking the form fields, it should be stripping any excess baggage. Is it the fonts embedded? If it is, then can the text  be outlined so that fonts are not necessary?

Adobe has been around way too long not have thought of this, so i know it's probably something I'm missing, but it amazes there's no obvious fix or answers...except.... there is a "save as reduced size" option which sounds great, but it doesn't work!  The file comes out the same size??(&^&*(#%$^&!/ Someone had previously stated that it produced a file even larger than it's original size.

Can some please help! Much appreciated.

Inspiring
August 19, 2011

It's really hard to give specific help without seeing the file in question. I'd be happy to take a look if you can post it somewhere or are free to email it to me at: acroscript at gmail dot com

Participating Frequently
August 19, 2011

OK. I have it narrowed down. It's definately fonts.I went to PDF optimizer. Then to audit space usage. It showws 99% of the file as FONTS. So I went back to the document and started stripping fields, fonts, Everthing....as a process of elimination. After stripping everything from the fille, the space usage still shows 99% fonts @ 24 MB.

the only font embedded was arial. So Im guessing it's loading all of my system fonts with the file. Does this help?

Participating Frequently
August 18, 2011

I have acrobat X pro. I created an editable form for in house use... like an invoice or estimate. After hours of searching I finally figured out how to flatten the document into a file that can be emailed as NON EDITABLE.(of course this plugin was not included with the original download) but nonetheless, I was happy.

Well today I tried emailing one of these files and noticed the file size was HUGE.24 Mb!!!

I've tried saving as reduced file size. I does not change. I've tried optimizing. Notta. PLEASE HELP!

don't get me wrong... I love adobe products... but this software seems very cumbersome in performing simple tasks. I've spent hours hunting for answers.

Saving as a low res, email friendly file should be almost automatic.......PDF 101. Is there something I'm missing? If so, why the HUNT?

Inspiring
August 18, 2011

Did you create the form in Acrobat or LiveCycle Designer?

Participating Frequently
August 18, 2011

Acrobat X Pro

New Participant
June 18, 2011

I have read thru all the posts on how to reduce the size of a PDF file, yet when I follow the suggested steps I do not see the options indicated in some of the posts. For example (using Adobe Reader- X, version 10.0.1) when I open a 15.4 mb pdf file  and select the Save As option, the two choices are Save as a pdf file or save as a text file. I need to reduce this file size in order to upload to a family ancestry application

Help, please

Inspiring
June 18, 2011

You have to have Acrobat, and some of the options even require Acrobat Pro. The type of thing you have requested is not available in the free Reader, a different product.