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Use Vector Graphics Use vector-based graphics wherever possible for images that would normally be made into GIFs. Vector images scale perfectly, look marvelous, and their mathematical formulas usually take up less space than bitmapped graphics that describe every pixel (although there are some cases where bitmap graphics are actually smaller than vector graphics). You can also compress vector image data using ZIP compression, which is built into
PDF format. Acrobat Reader version 5 and 6 also support
SVG standard.
Minimize Fonts How you use fonts, especially in smaller PDFs, can have a significant impact on file size. Minimize
number of fonts you use in your documents to minimize their impact on file size. Each additional fully embedded font can easily take 40K in file size, which is why most authors create "subsetted" fonts that only include
glyphs actually used.
Fix Fat Forms Acrobat forms can take up a lot of space in your PDFs. You can use PDF Enhancer from Apago to reduce forms by 50% by removing information present in
file but never actually used. You can also combine a refried PDF with
old form pages to create a hybrid PDF in Acrobat.
Optimizing Existing PDFs In many cases you won't have access to
original document, just
resulting PDF file. Many PDFs we've seen are not fully optimized for
Web, using conservative settings more appropriate to high-resolution printers. For computer monitors viewing web-based PDFs, you don't need high resolution images and exact reproduction of font faces, you just want to convey your information in an efficient way. Using
techniques outlined below, you can shrink your PDFs, while still maintaining
textual data for search engines, and reasonable quality for print output. Some webmasters offer two versions of their PDFs, once for fast web display, and one for printing.
Save As... Once you're done making changes to your PDF document choose File -> Save As and overwrite your existing PDF file. By default, save as removes changes that are appended to PDFs by
Save command, linearizes
file for fast web viewing, and removes unused objects.
The result is a compact, linearized PDF that displays
first page (or an arbitrary page) quickly, while
rest of
file downloads in
background. Although linearized PDFs are slightly larger, they also increase perceived speed. Note that optimizing a signed document will invalidate its signature.

Article by Andy King, author of the popular book titled "Speed Up Your Site – Web Site Optimization". Web Site Optimization, LLC is a leading provider of web site optimization and search engine marketing services that "tune up" web sites for increased usability, conversion rates, traffic, and profitability. For more information about Web Site Optimization visit http://www.websiteoptimization.com