Printing PDF dramatically increases file size

[ketter]

We have some software that outputs to PDF. If we open the PDF in PDF XChange Editor and reprint it to PDF using PDF-XChange Standard V6, the file size increases considerably. For example a 461 KB file will print to 16.1 MB. Optimizing it won't shrink it. I don't want to post these files, but I can send them if Tracker Support requests. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Ken

[Willy Van Nuffel]

1) Normally you should not reprint to PDF. Try to make the modifications via PDF-XChange Editor and save the PDF.

2) Increasing file size after re-printing to PDF can be caused by:
- "Print as images" being checked in the File > Print dialog box (option located at the bottom of the window)
- "Text Rendering Mode" set to "Bitmap for embedded fonts", via the "More..." button in the Print dialog box
- ...

[ketter]

Thanks for the suggestions, but they didn't decrease the size.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Attached to this post you can find a one page PDF (18 KB) and its reprinted version (21 KB).

Can you also reprint the original PDF and post it here?

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi guys,

Willy - I see what you're looking for here and suspect you're right: this is likely specific to the files that Ketter is using.

Ketter - Please do send the files to support@pdf-xchange.com with a link back to this topic for reference. If you have any other PDF printers, can you try them for comparison? As Willy said, re-printing PDF's to PDF printers is rarely recommended. Reapplying conversion and compression algorithms can result in strange behaviour that we cannot always control. That's not to say that's definitely what's happening, it's just something to consider.

[ketter]

Will,
Examples were just sent to the provided email address.

Willy
Sorry, but as I mentioned in the original post, I would rather not publicly post these files.

Thanks,
Ken

[Willy Van Nuffel]

No problem Ken.

I was just wondering what it should give when you should re-print my example PDF on your side.
Would it also result in a file of about 21 KB, or would it be a lot larger in size.

If the result is also 21 KB, like it is on my side, then the problem must surely come from the particular PDF's that you are using and printing.

Best regards.

[ketter]

Willy,

Misunderstood you. I just downloaded your file and printed it. It jumped to 225 KB (see attached file). Something odd is going on here. I'm wondering if I stumbled across some bug in PDF XChange Editor. I noticed that if we print from Acrobat to the PDF-XChange Standard printer driver, the file gets smaller, but if we print from XChange Editor to the PDF-XChange Standard printer driver, the file gets much larger. It will be interesting to see what support has to say on this.

Ken

[Willy Van Nuffel]

To me, it seems like your problem has to do with the manner that your "fonts" are printed to PDF.

Re-open the re-printed "PDF32000_2008_24p-printed.pdf" that you just posted and then via File > Edit > Preferences > Page Display > Rendering... (button), uncheck/deactivate "Smooth line art" and click OK and OK.

You will immediately see what I mean ...

Via File > Print > More... (button), at "Text Rendering Mode", you have probably one of the "Bitmap ..." or "Outline ..." options.

Switch this option to "Auto" and also make sure to not activate "Print as images" in the Print dialog box.
Then, try re-printing to PDF again (by using the original test PDF).

Good luck.

[ketter]

Willy,
That was it! I'm not sure how that changed, but setting Text Rendering mode to Auto solved the problem. Just odd that it would suddenly default to something other than Auto. I have a standard install that I push out to everyone and I didn't change that setting. Oh well. Thanks! Appreciate your help!

Ken

[Willy Van Nuffel]

With pleasure.

[ketter]

By the way, does anyone know if the Text Rendering Mode is stored in a registry setting? It would be great if I could just push out the correct setting to everyone.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Seems like you need the 'complete' content of the "PrintPages" key.
Only the "i.TextMode" value below that key does not make it work.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0\Settings\Operations\PrintPages]
"i.Content"=dword:00000189
"i.TextMode"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0\Settings\Operations\PrintPages\PagesRange]
"i.Type"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Tracker Software\PDFXEditor\3.0\Settings\Operations\PrintPages\ScaleBook]
"d.Gutter"=hex(b):00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[ketter]

Thanks again!
Ken

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hi Ken,

The text rendering mode should be remembered for the next time you print. So you should not need to change it each time.

Cheers!

[Timur Born]

"Outline" seems to be the default setting for Text Rendering Mode. I also fell into that trap, especially because "Auto" does something that is not even offered as an explicit option (uses neither outline nor bitmap).

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi Timur,

That appears to be correct - This was done as a workaround for an issue with some fonts that were are working to fix, but it's a lengthy fix and is taking some time to implement.

Thanks,