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User profile for user: Flashe3
Flashe3 Author
User level: Level 1
17 points

Keynote creating very large PDF files

Hi,


I recently updated to Mac OS Big Sur.


When I create a PDF from a 9.2MB Keynote, the PDF is 22.8MB. I reduced the file size of the Keynote to 6.9MB using the 'reduce file size' option from the File menu, but the PDF that's created is still 22.8MB. When creating the PDF, I selected 'Image Quality' as 'Good', which is the lowest quality option.


Prior to updating to Big Sur, the PDF I created from the 9.2MB Keynote was 12MB (which is still very large).


I would be grateful for information on how to significantly reduce the PDF file size while retaining a high quality of images, please.


Many thanks.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Feb 17, 2022 9:27 AM

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
116,429 points

Posted on Feb 17, 2022 12:22 PM

The original size of the Keynote document has no correlation to the size of the exported PDF because the Keynote document is a compressed and renamed (.key) zip archive. If you have used 300 dpi images, or a stupendous number of lower resolution images and other special Keynote features, the translation process may still generate a huge PDF depending on how well the data within the PDF itself compresses. Even if you choose a "good" resolution.


Attempting to externally reduce the size of the PDF does not result in retention, or improvement of the overall PDF quality. You can test this by opening the PDF in Preview, and then from File menu -> Export… set it to PDF and choose the Quartz filter Reduce File Size. Save it to another PDF document, and then determine the size and quality of that PDF to the original.

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User profile for user: VikingOSX
VikingOSX
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
116,429 points

Feb 17, 2022 12:22 PM in response to Flashe3

The original size of the Keynote document has no correlation to the size of the exported PDF because the Keynote document is a compressed and renamed (.key) zip archive. If you have used 300 dpi images, or a stupendous number of lower resolution images and other special Keynote features, the translation process may still generate a huge PDF depending on how well the data within the PDF itself compresses. Even if you choose a "good" resolution.


Attempting to externally reduce the size of the PDF does not result in retention, or improvement of the overall PDF quality. You can test this by opening the PDF in Preview, and then from File menu -> Export… set it to PDF and choose the Quartz filter Reduce File Size. Save it to another PDF document, and then determine the size and quality of that PDF to the original.

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Keynote creating very large PDF files

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