I'm wondering if my pdf is large enough to maintain resolution

[darkloom52]

I am creating documents containing wedding table assignment cards to be taken to a printer.  In InDesign, I created a 17 x 11 in page (according to printer specifications); added 16 2 x 3.5 in frames; imported 16 pdf files (each ~3300Kb) and simply placed them in the frames - no resizing or anything; added a .5 stroke border and exported for printing (using the High Quality setting).  My resulting document is 150 Kb.  That seems small to me.  I know it depends on the content; here's one of the cards:

Can 150 Kb contain the best print info for 16 of these on a page?

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi @darkloom52 ,

I'm glad you reached out to us. Here are some things to consider regarding your question:

• The file size of your InDesign document depends on various factors such as the number of pages, images, and graphics used, as well as the settings used when exporting the file.
• To ensure that your document contains the best print info for 16 of these cards on a page, you may want to consider the following:
• Check the resolution of your images and graphics to ensure they are at least 300 dpi for high-quality printing.
• Ensure your document is set up with the correct page size and orientation for your intended output.
• Consider adjusting the compression settings to reduce the file size without sacrificing quality.
  
  You can also check this article for more information.
  
  I am leaving this discussion open for experts' suggestions. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
  

Thanks

Rishabh

[darkloom52]

Thank you Rishabh:

I will try to check all those things.  Off the top of my head, I don't see anything that would explain why my file size is so small, but I've been wrong before.  Just FYI, here's one of the pages that is 150Kb

[darkloom52]

Just FYI here's the resolution of the original image file that is being imported into ID

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

This doesn't have to do with the size of your PDF - but rather how to check your images in InDesign for print by checking the Effective PPI and how to control the preview quality in InDesign
https://creativepro.com/high-res-image-look-low-res/

Once you check your effective resolution in InDesign then you should be ok for print.

I checked your PDF it looks ok. 

The small size is nothing to worry about as there's compression added to the images. 

Ultimately, unless you're printing and cutting these down yourself, there's not really a need to step them up yourself. 

A printers will do this for their page setup and printer capabilities. 

For professional printing it's best to send 1 at the exact size you need.

The professional printers will do the rest.

[darkloom52]

Enlightenment!  I didn't realize that commercial printers compensated for compression.  And I have been trying to find a way to check the PPI (I am a bit of a beginner).  I thank you so much for taking the time to reassure me; I love when online interactions are helpful rather than derogatory.

[darkloom52]

So I did as you suggested in that link to creative pro; I'm attaching the result.  You will notice that I have selected the graphic on the bottom left.  Did I do something wrong?

[Laubender]

Hi @darkloom52 ,

you cannot get any information of PPI for a placed PDF in the Links panel.

PDF is a container format that can contain various images with different resolution values.

Open the placed PDF with Acrobat Pro and inspect it there.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Eugene Tyson]

Nobody said that commercial printers compensate for compression.

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi @darkloom52 ,

your PDF file size is so small, because the signature is text and the fish is a very simple vector graphic element.

The image file, the drawing, is around 300 ppi in effective resolution and is very small in pixel size ( 184 x 362 px ) .

My assumption: Because you placed the PDF several times on your page without any effects applied, the placed PDF data is stored only as much as necessary without, or nearly without, repetition. One could inspect the PDF to see that with Acrobat Pro. In Acrobat Pro go to Print Production > Preflight and use the menu command "Create Inventory…" . Check all the options you see there and write a PDF that is showing all elements of the PDF in a more or less tabular fashion.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[darkloom52]

Thank you so much for your clarity; I have really been banging my head on this, and now I can go get an ice pack.

Cheers