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Mac OS X: Simple PDF Compression / PDF Size Reduction using Filters in Preview

The below tip applies to Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6 (Leopard and Snow Leopard). I suspect it will also work with older OS X versions, and hopefully also with future updates. Please post comments if you have more insights into this.


As most users know, the majority (if not all) Mac OS X of applications support Print to PDF functionality. However, when producing PDF this way (ie by printing to Mac OS X's native PDF spooling function), there is no user control over the image compression settings in the resulting PDF file (nor over any other file-size-related features). This can lead to very big, full-resolution PDF files.


The below describes how you can compress PDF files on a Mac without using any third party software (like Adobe Acrobat).



A. The Basics


1. Open the PDF you would like to compress/reduce in size in Preview

User uploaded file

2. In Preview, select "Save as..." from the File menu.


3. In the resulting dialogue window, select the Quartz Filter "Reduce File Size," then save the file.


Note: You probably want to save this file under a different name or in a different location, unless you are comfortable with overwriting the original, full-resolution file.


User uploaded file


That is all for the basics. The result will be a (very small) PDF file, with average JPEG compression, which has been reduced to at least 50% of its original resolution and no bigger than 512x128 pixels. This is very small indeed.




B. More Advanced Options


If you would like to have a bigger selection of Quartz Filters available, thus allowing you to have a middle way between full-resolution and the above very compressed, very reduced PDF, you can download and install pre-set filters. One very good set of filters comes from Jerome Colas (original thread here), but you can of course download any other set of filters as well.



1. Download the filters. Valid filter files will have a .qfilter extension. Jerome's filters are here: http://idisk.mac.com/jcolas-Public


2. Move these filters into your User >> Library >> Filters folder. If this folder does not exist, you will have to create it.


User uploaded file


3. Now, going back to the above basic work flow (see A), in the Quartz Filter selection drop-down when you select "Save as..." in Preview's File menu, you will notice that your newly installed filters appear.


User uploaded file




C. Even More Advanced Options


You can also create your own, fully customises Quartz Filters using your Mac's ColorSync Utility.


1. Open ColorSync in your Application >> Utilities folder

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2. Select the Filters icon in the top bar, and click on the "+" sign in the lower left corner to add a new filter. Name it as you see fit and hit Enter.


User uploaded file


3. Once the new filter has been created, use the options from the drop-down menu (downward arrow to the right of the filter name) to add your desired compression and other filter options.


4. Like the downloaded filters as described in (B), your customised filter will appear in the Quartz Filter selection drop-down box in Preview's "Save as..." window.


Ω

Posted on May 9, 2011 11:34 PM

Reply
14 replies

Aug 9, 2011 5:08 PM in response to j.ve

I just scanned and compressed something similar to what I scanned/compressed before at work. I had Adobe Acrobat there and I would just do the OCR/Reduce File size on every scan. What I just tested with the "Reduce to 150 dpi average quality - STANDARD COMPRESSION.qfilter" looks comparable but seems to be 3 times the size of my adobe scan. The next lower level "Reduce to 075 dpi average quality.qfilter" looks a lot worse and is still a little bigger. There are some other factors including a different scanner but I thought I would share my thoughts. While we're on the subject, any suggestion for OCR?

Aug 10, 2011 8:20 PM in response to srizvi1

I have had the same experience, firstly i used the procedure and chose reduce file size and it moved from 28.7mb to 28.6 mb then i donwloaded the filters and tried the lowest 150dpi and again it went down in size by 0.1 mb to 28.5mb then i tried the colour sync opened and added a new filter but could find no where where i could add to the new filter the reduce size qulaities......so unless i do the reduction like 250 times i cant see how this is helping

Oct 17, 2011 2:23 PM in response to j.ve

Thank you so much for writing this clear instruction. Even without the screenshots...


However I have tried option B and C but have not been able to see the new filters in Preview in OS 10.7.2 Lion.

The "Save ***" function has been replaced by "Export" while choosing this option the new filter options are not visible...


I reboted the machine after importing the filters to no avail :-(

Oct 17, 2011 3:46 PM in response to Roger Willems

Glad this was useful to you. And indeed, I don't know what happened to the original screenshots...


I encountered this problem as well.


The solution is to move the filters from:


/Users/YOURNAME/Library/Filters/


to:


/Library/Filters/ (you may have to create this folder)


In other words, in OSX 10.7(.2), the filters need to be in the main system-wide Library, not in a user's Library.


And yes, the PDF Quartz Filter functionality in Preview has moved from the Print dialogue box to the File > Export command.

Mac OS X: Simple PDF Compression / PDF Size Reduction using Filters in Preview

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