What is going on with Indesign pdf sizes?!

Not sure if it's been addressed or answered in this thread, but: @emilee_cee , what happens if you export directly to PDF from ACAD, and then (while adjusting all export parameters a few times, perhaps), use Acrobat Pro to reduce the PDF file size? And then, for whatever reason you are pulling the result into ID, do so by placing that PDF and adding whatever framing material or markup for re-export to PDF — and again exploring what Acrobat might do to reduce that PDF size?

I think you are pulling a vector file through too many apps and steps, and converting to the far less efficient raster format, to end up with... what should be a very efficient vector format.

Really newb question, but you do realize that PDF is best as a pure vector file, and while it can be used to encapsulate or wrap raster files for convenience (such as a document scan file), that's a secondary and often very inefficient method?

If anyone comes across this and is wondering, the only workable solution i found (while having semi clear graphics & comfortable email file size) is to export all required imagery from Photoshop as a High Jpeg, link them to ID, dont even bother exporting with compression settings in Indesign, then take the exported PDF into Acrobat Pro and use the compression settings in Optimized with Cleanup or reduce to smallest file size option. I did have some success in reduced file size by linking live Photoshop file in Indesign but it is far too slow for general use

What tool/app are you using to distill the CAD art into PDF?

If it's BlueBeam or one of the other drawing/file management tools so common in the AEC/CAD world, there's probably not much that can be done. All PDF tools other than Acrobat [Pro] have their quirks and limitations and variation from both the PDF standard and Adobe's "best practices."

Hi, @emilee_cee ,

when I read "CAD linework" does that mean a PDF exported by a CAD software?

If yes did you had a look if the linework consists of single lines with a given point size?

Or do they consist of many (up to thousands) small lines to reach the wanted thickness?

Regards

Stephan

There is so much that goes into the size of a PDF that it's practically impossible to tell what's going on. I'm not sure if I'm the crazy one or not, but I pay very little attention to file sizes these days.