Saving small PDF file (web) isn't working

[benleander_]

Hello there and thanks already for reading!

A client of mine wants to have a web PDF of their  magazine, usually the size is around 12 MB for around 60 pages. This time, however, I'm having problems getting the file size down even when I export it with the preset smallest file size and lower the compression to 72dpi and the quality of the photos to low: For 68 pages I end up with a PDF of ~34 MB. 

Anyone have any ideas why this could be and what I could do to lower the file size?

Thanks 🙂

[vladan saveljic]

try to open your pdf in Acrobat and then:

"File" > "Save As Other" > "Reduced Size PDF" > choose "Make compatible with", for example, "Acrobat 9 and later"

[benleander_ · Accepted solution]

I tried that at first but didn't work, I figured out the problem, it was a .PDF advertisement in the magazine that couldn't be compressed. The way to solve this is to save an interactive (!) PDF and watch the loading screen. Then analyze which site takes way longer to save and on that site there may be some images/advertisements that cannot be automatically compressed. I changed the ad from .pdf to .PSD and now it works.