PDF size, is content stream the problem?

Report · Nov 23, 2009

I've done a search on PDF size a number of times, and tried doing a save-as, and using the optimizer, but I still can't seem to make much change in file size. Here is a link to a previous document (InDesign to PDF) which I have tried to downsize:

http://dsf.chesco.org/agdev/lib/agdev/pdf/locfoodguide.pdf

I've seen references to CONTENT STREAM, and the numbers for this document are high, but I have no idea what I can do about it.

I's appreciate any suggestions.

Report · Jan 16, 2010

Hi,

I have the same problem... near of 86% of size is Content Stream... and old document has near 50%...

may be that change is because now documents are created by indesign...

is there a way to compact this objects? I think they are little images (like icons or buttons)

Report · Jan 16, 2010

It appears that your content is mostly line or vector graphics. These can be selected with the object touchup tool. If you select a few and delete them, the size starts going down. You also have a lot of bitmap graphics. I have tried flattening, optimization, and reduce file size with little improvement. The only improvement really came with deleating some of the vector graphics. These results are not conclusive, but should give you a bit of insight into what is going on. Based on the web, you are not the only 2 folks who have had the problem. Bill

Report · Feb 03, 2010

Hi Bill@VT,

Yes, you are right mostly content stream are images (bitmap graphics), so the question is:

why some images are "images" and others are "content stream"?

This is important because I think that image optimization only works on "images images" and not on "images in content stream"...

also, with the object touchup tool I discover images over images, that in reality are content stream over images...so, Its possible to flatten this images? (this occurs very often).

Image1 show all objects (object touchup tool + Ctrl-A) and image2 is the same page with zoom.

Note: this pdfs are created by indesign... olds pdfs (with smaller size and same quality) are created by quark... maybe indesign have options to handle this situation...

Best Regards!

Report · Feb 03, 2010

In InDesign you can try different export options.

Report · Feb 16, 2011

I'm having the same large "content stream" issues. All of my graphics are vector based made in AI, if export a PDF there it's barely 1.4 megs.

My InDesign file without the graphics is 25 pages of text (using 3 or 4 fonts).

This is pretty ridiculous since so many people must be using InDesign to distribute designed multipage documents as PDFs.

I've been a professional designer for 15 years, and I know these PDFs are saving something they don't need to.

I tried tweaking all the export values, even "Smallest PDF Size" - but nothing gets this file less then 25 megs.

How can this be?

3rd Party tools like Shrink PDF do nothing, but destroy some of my graphics (visually).

This is pretty frustrating, as I've been dealing with this issue for days.

Adobe - tell us what "content stream" is and how to reduce it.

Or, I'll just get another Page Layout program because web distribution of PDFs is the future.

Report · Jan 11, 2012

The 'content stream' appears to be related to vector data - text or graphic - that appears in a PDF.

We're having an issue with a client-supplied PDF that we manage to reduce to a manageable size for use a variable data application - only to have the postscript output be ridiculously large given the content.

Using PDF Optimizer to discard user data will reduce the PDF significantly, but may affect your output (though it didn't affect mine). I would avoid flattening the transparency unless you need to for your output method - rasterized objects will only inflate the file size.

Where we're running aground is at the postscript output stage - required by our process. Regardless of how much we manage to reduce the size of the original PDF, the postscript is monstrous. The initial PDF is ~800k, while the resulting postscript is over 12MB. The PDF is comprised of text and vector graphics - no raster images - and content stream accounts for 82% of the file's size.

Any suggestions?

Report · Mar 07, 2014

I know this is an old post, but have you ever tried saving over your InDesign document using Save As? InDesign tends to add a lot of overhead by document bloat caused by several reasons including copying and pasting images instead of placing for example.

Another method is saving the document as InDesign Markup Language (IDML) then opening the IDML file and resaving as INDD.

To further keep the InDesign file as slim as possible, you can also go to the panels and select and delete unused masters, styles, and swatches of each panel from the dropdown menu to the right.

Once the InDesign is as slim as can be, then try optimizing the PDF. I'm typically able to get a 90MB 200+ page catalog file down to around 5MB, which uses mostly vector graphics.