Export paperback pdf is 1.9mb, export hardcover pdf is 20mb, why such huge size different?

[Baby Yoda]

Hey guys, I designed my cover in Affinity Designer and saved as a pdf with no compression, there’s 2 version, one is bigger dimension(hardcover 19.9mb) and one is smaller dimension(paperback, 17.3mb).

i have been given 2 type of format of generated template for me to place my cover into, indesign format and pdf format, and then I need to export as pdf x1a to submit

After I placed my cover in and export as pdf x1a with this process:

Paperback pdf cover -> place into indesign template file -> export as pdf x1a

Hardback pdf cover -> place into indesign template file -> export as pdf x1a

i found that the pdf x1a for paperback is 1.9mb but the hardcover pdf x1a is 20mb, why?

i changed the icc profile to the 240% ink limit profile I found here:

https://indesignsecrets.com/force-color-images-cmyk-240-ink-limit.php

Mother than that, I didn’t change the pdf export panel settings, so the image compression is set as 300 and 450dpi

extra, should I use the generated indesign indd file or pdf file to place my cover into? Which one in better in accuracy, quality and workflow?

they allow me to export and submit in PDF X1a:2001 and PDF X3:2002, which one better in quality? I tried to export both formats and they have the same different size problem I’m facing now tho

[Eric Dumas]

HI,

I am not familiar with this service/template. The difference usually comes from the way the images are treated and compressed. Can you try a document with text only? Out of curiosity.

[Baby Yoda]

Hi, I updated my post with more clearer details, can you have a look again?

[Test Screen Name]

There isn’t a right or target size. A 10,000 page book can be a few MB. A one page design can be thousands of MB. 

[Baby Yoda]

Hi, I updated my post with more clearer details, can you have a look again?

[Creamer Training]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you output two PDFs--one meant for paperback (softbound) and one for hardbound, with the same overall art and design.

Is that correct--all the text and artwork is the same, the page size is the same, and the page count is the same? And you used the EXACT same PDF profile to export? However, you do say "almost identical file size" so there are some differences. Also, don't go by the InDesign file size--that's meaningless in relationship to the PDF.

As Eric mentioned, it is probably the image compression. For example, the canned PDF/X-3 profile has the image resolution at downsample to 300 if over 450 ppi. If you one version had an effective resolution, of 449 ppi, it would stay 449 and the image(s) could be more twice as big then at 300 ppi. If the other version had an effective resolution of 451 for the image(s), it would downsample to 300 ppi. (My numbers are only examples, not what you might have.) That's why I like to change my downsample settings to 300 ppi for any over 300 ppi (I change the second number). 

[Baby Yoda]

Hi, This is my process and I hope you will understand what I have done: 

I first create the cover size document in affinity designer then I paste the cover image and scale it down to the size of the cover, it has 321dpi, so it’s between 300 and 450, then I add all the texts and export as pdf with all the compression unticked so it retain as original quality as possible, then I place this pdf into the generated indesign file by ingramspark, it’s a file that contain cut line and everything to produce physical cover, after placed I export as pdfx1a, I didn’t change anything as it’s a standard format, I did changed the document icc profile to a 240% limit profile I found here https://indesignsecrets.com/force-color-images-cmyk-240-ink-limit.php 

I first create the cover size document in affinity designer then I paste the cover image and scale it down to the size of the cover, it has 321dpi, so it’s between 300 and 450, then I add all the texts and export as pdf with all the compression unticked so it retain as original quality as possible, then I place this pdf into the generated indesign file by ingramspark, it’s a file that contain cut line and everything to produce physical cover, after placed I export as pdfx1a, I didn’t change anything as it’s a standard format, I did changed the document icc profile to a 240% limit profile I found here https://indesignsecrets.com/force-color-images-cmyk-240-ink-limit.php

so the output panel is no longer the default US WEB SWOP COATED V2 bit that icc I downloaded

this process is same for both paperback and hardcover, the image I pasted is same look for both but I edited them so they are different in dimension to fit their intended use(paperback and hardcover dimension), the pdf produced by affinity designer for both is nearly same file size, the dpi of the picture is same for both document

so what do you think I can do?

they provide both generated indesign file and pdf file for me to place my cover in, but is it ideal to place in pdf then export as another pdf again? I find that both format the trim line are not accurate enough, for example my cover with is 16.66 inch but the pdf cover placement width is 16.661111 inches, unoticeable but worth to know

[Kasyan Servetsky]

In my experience, PDF files placed in InDesign and then re-exported back to PDF, sometimes cause it to grow in size significantly. For example, a single page may weigh more than all the other pages. It's easy to see if you split the file by one page.
To solve the problem, I do the following:
File > Save as other > Optimized PDF

Then click the 'Audit space usage' button to check Document overhead which in some cases may take even 90+ %!
To remove this unnecessary data, select Discard user data tab, turn on Discard document information and metadata and click OK.

[Baby Yoda]

Place pdf in indesign you mean open the pdf in indesign or place the pdf in an opened indesign file?

This is my process and I hope you will understand what I have done: 

I first create the cover size document in affinity designer then I paste the cover image and scale it down to the size of the cover, it has 321dpi, so it’s between 300 and 450, then I add all the texts and export as pdf with all the compression unticked so it retain as original quality as possible, then I place this pdf into the generated indesign file by ingramspark, it’s a file that contain cut line and everything to produce physical cover, after placed I export as pdfx1a, I didn’t change anything as it’s a standard format, I did changed the document icc profile to a 240% limit profile I found here https://indesignsecrets.com/force-color-images-cmyk-240-ink-limit.php 

I first create the cover size document in affinity designer then I paste the cover image and scale it down to the size of the cover, it has 321dpi, so it’s between 300 and 450, then I add all the texts and export as pdf with all the compression unticked so it retain as original quality as possible, then I place this pdf into the generated indesign file by ingramspark, it’s a file that contain cut line and everything to produce physical cover, after placed I export as pdfx1a, I didn’t change anything as it’s a standard format, I did changed the document icc profile to a 240% limit profile I found here https://indesignsecrets.com/force-color-images-cmyk-240-ink-limit.php

so the output panel is no longer the default US WEB SWOP COATED V2 bit that icc I downloaded

this process is same for both paperback and hardcover, the image I pasted is same look for both but I edited them so they are different in dimension to fit their intended use(paperback and hardcover dimension), the pdf produced by affinity designer for both is nearly same file size, the dpi of the picture is same for both document

so what do you think I can do?

they provide both generated indesign file and pdf file for me to place my cover in, but is it ideal to place in pdf then export as another pdf again? I find that both format the trim line are not accurate enough, for example my cover with is 16.66 inch but the pdf cover placement width is 16.661111 inches, unoticeable but worth to know

[Willi Adelberger]

If you place a PDF from InDesign in another INDD file, here the provided file, you have to make following settings before:

1. Export the file to import as PDF/X-4, even if it is later exported as PDF/X-3, into InDesign use always PDF/X-4!
2. When you export the PDF/X-4 turn of all compressian, recalculation and conversion as it will be done when you export the final PDF.

[Baby Yoda]

Hello, my cover is designed in Affinity Designer and saved as pdf with no compression or anything so it’s around 19mb, then I place it into the generated indesign file and then export as pdf x1a as they required.

i updated my post with clearer details, can you have a look again?

[Eugene Tyson]

Why not just export from Affinity as PDFX1A? 

Why do you need InDesign here? 

[rob day]

And why is 20mb a problem—it’s not a very large file size.

[rob day]

i changed the icc profile to the 240% ink limit profile I found here:

https://indesignsecrets.com/force-color-images-cmyk-240-ink-limit.php

Also, a profile only affects total ink when there is a conversion from RGB to CMYK. PDF/X-1a has to be all CMYK or spot color, so a placed X-1a could easily have total ink that exceeds 240% depending on how it was made. The profile’s total ink limit wouldn’t stop you from building a CMYK color or swatch that exceeds the limit.

[Eugene Tyson]

I still don't know why you don't use Affinity to make the PDF x1 a PDF -