Need to reduce filesize of PDF while changing almost nothing.

durandal4532

I'm currently applying to graduate schools. Several of them asked for a transcript upload. Unfortunately, scanned images of my school's lovely and very busy official transcript are 2.8 Mb, whereas the maximum accepted filesize is 2 Mb because the people who made Embark are dicks.

What can I do to reduce the filesize while altering very little of the image?

UncleSporky

Huh, I started googling "reduce file" and the first entry in the list below was "reduce file size pdf." I guess everyone wants to do this.

http://blog.nitropdf.com/index.php/2008/02/11/5-tricks-to-shrinkreduce-pdf-file-size/

Sounds like downloading a PDF printer or creator and re-saving the file might do it.

EDIT: Also, these are just scanned images? It could help a lot just by opening them in MSPaint or some editing program and deleting large swaths of white space (or dot-specked space). Here's a random photocopied doc I found online to illustrate:



Cleaned up:


This gif goes from 49k to 36k. Of course I didn't do a perfectly clean job either.

durandal4532

Ah, both nice ideas. Thanks for the tips, I'll do this tonight and see how it works.

Chalkbot

For a PDF printer, download CutePDF (free and safe) and you can reprint them to new PDFs.

Also, if you know of anyone with a copy of Adobe Acrobat Professional, there is a "Reduce file size" option in the File pull-down I believe.

Spectral Swallow

I have acrobat if you need it done, shoot me a PM.

GrimReaper

Chalkbot wrote: »

For a PDF printer, download CutePDF (free and safe) and you can reprint them to new PDFs.

Also, if you know of anyone with a copy of Adobe Acrobat Professional, there is a "Reduce file size" option in the File pull-down I believe.

PDF Creator also does the trick.