Best exporting PDF preset or setting for desktop viewing

[bareng]

What are the best settings for exporting AI file to PDF for desktop viewing?
AI file consists of text and images.

[Monika Gause]

What do you mean by desktop viewing?

And what is so special about the file? Do you want to get file size down?

Is it for printing?

Images vector or pixel?

Please tell us about your file and your goals.

[bareng]

A newsletter which will be shared via email for staff to view on the devices.

Will not be printed.

[Monika Gause]

And "Smallest File Size" does not work?

Basically you need to adjust the image compression settings until you get the right balance between file size and quality.

[Anshul_Saini · Accepted solution]

Hi @bareng,

When exporting an Adobe Illustrator (AI) file to PDF for desktop viewing, there are several settings you can consider to achieve the best results. One commonly used preset is "PDF/X-4:2008". This preset is commonly used for desktop viewing as it allows for transparency, color management, and higher image resolutions. It is suitable for files that contain images, text, and complex graphics and provides good compatibility with modern PDF viewers.

As Monika suggested, you can also adjust the image compression settings to find the right balance between file size and quality. Illustrator offers options for different types of compression, such as JPEG and ZIP, which can be adjusted to control the compression level applied to PDF images.

Additionally, depending on your specific requirements, you can consider other settings, such as resolution, font embedding, and color space. For example, using a lower resolution for images can further reduce the file size but may result in lower image quality. Font embedding ensures that fonts used in the AI file are embedded in the PDF for accurate viewing, and choosing the appropriate color space ensures accurate color reproduction.

It's essential to test different settings and view the resulting PDF to ensure that the quality and file size meets your needs. You may need to strike a balance between file size and quality depending on the specific content of your AI file, including the text and images.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[bareng]

Thank you!

[Kurt Gold · Accepted solution]

In addition to what already has been mentioned, if you have Acrobat Pro there is an option to save an optimized .pdf file (File > Save As > Optimized PDF) . It offers various options to reduce the file size further and it certainly does reduce it tremendously if you choose the appropriate settings to strip unnecessary dead weight.

Just in case you need some more compression than the so-called smallest file size preset that Illustrator offers by default.

[bareng]

Thank you