Cut-Fill Map Makes File Size Too Large to Print

[Anonymous]

I am trying to print out a cut-fill map (volume surface) that I created using C3D.  The surfaces used to create the cut-fill map are fairly large.  This means that the volume surface is also large.  I can plot the map to a PDF (15-25mb), but I cannot print the PDF.  I cannot print directly out of C3D or print the PDF using Adobe Acrobat (or any other program). It seems that the cut-fill color map is the culprit as it takes forever for Acrobat to load the color map.  Is there a way to reduce the size of the cut-fill map so that it can print? Maybe there is a way to change the plotter settings or the volume surface itself?  Somebody must have figured this out if they have been plotting cut-fill maps for a while.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[tcorey]

Use solid hatch instead of patterned hatch.

When printing to PDF, from the Plot dialog, a little below where you pick the pdf output will be a PDF Options button. Press it. Lower the Raster Image Quality. Lower by half the existing value gives you an output file approximately one-fourth the size.

[ChicagoLooper]

Are you using Adobe Acrobat to create your PDFs? If you are, do this. After you've made your PDF, open it using Adobe Acrobat, then do this:

1. File=>Save as Other=>Reduced Size PDF
2. Make compatible with=>Acrobat 8.0 and later=>OK=>Save (Do NOT rename the PDF, over write the existing file)=>YES when asked to Replace existing file.
3. The REDUCED file will over write and replace the existing large file. In the example below the reduction is huuge.

Image-1.

Image-2.

Image-3.

Notes:

• You don't have to adjust resolution or pixels when printing your PDF in AutoCAD.
• Don't be afraid to over write the over weighted PDF, replace the large with the small.
• Let Adobe Acrobat do its thing--it will reduce the KBs. Big time reduce.
• You can do this to any PDF, not just the ones you create in AutoCAD.
• Depending on your version of Acrobat, your procedure may vary.

[Anonymous]

Tim,

Thanks for the reply.  I actually read about this tip somewhere on a forum and it does help a bit.  But I was still unable to shave off enough size to plot.  I will definitely try this method in conjuction with another in order to reduce file size further.

[rl_jackson]

What kind of printer are you sending the data too?

Would there possible be a need to upgrade the RAM on the device?

[Anonymous]

ChicagoLooper,

I am using Adobe Acrobat.  I tried your suggestion but, while it works with most PDFs, it does not want to shrink PDFs with complex images in it.  I ended up freezing Acrobat (and my coworkers Acrobat) when I tried shrinking the file with this method.  I was able to use this technique for another of my PDFs that needed downsizing.

[Anonymous]

Jackson,

This happens regardless of which printer in the office I try plotting through.  This includes both regular printers and large-scale plotters.

[Anonymous]

As an update, one work around that I found was to export the file as a jpeg from Acrobat.  This significantly reduced the size.  It's not ideal as I would prefer a way to shrink the file using AutoCAD.  Once I created the jpegs, I combined them all back into a PDF and was able to print.

[ChicagoLooper]

So you opened the PDF using Acrobat. Can you confirm you are using File/Save as Other/REDUCED SIZE/PDF, i.e.

File=>Save as Other=>Reduced Size PDF=>Make Compatible with=>???

For Make Compatible With are you selecting Acrobat 8.0 and later?  If you're not, then you won't get the reduction  in KB size.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I followed that process exactly.  It works fine with other PDFs;  but it locks up each time I try this method with PDFs that have large heat maps created in AutoCAD.

[ChicagoLooper]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

<<As an update, one work around that I found was to export the file as a jpeg from Acrobat.  This significantly reduced the size. >> 

---

No, no, no. Trust me, I have used the jpeg method in ADDITION TO the method outlined in post #3 of this thread. While the export to jpeg  does work, the resolution is NOT as good as using Save as Other/Reduced Size PDF. 

If you're doing it correctly, then you can compare both methods, i.e. jpeg method vs. Reduce Size PDF method, side-by-side. You can clearly see a difference in clarity when zooming in tightly to mtext on each PDF. The jpeg font displays 'fuzziness' at mtext font edges while the mtext on reduced size PDF is sharp.

Note:

Don't confuse SAVE AS with SAVE AS REDUCED SIZE PDF.  They are entirely two different operations.

You should not substitute one for the other, never ever.

Would you be willing to share your large PDF?  Large PDF's should be, can be, reduced from 50% to 75% from their original KB size.

[ChicagoLooper]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

<<....Yes. I followed that process exactly.  It works fine with other PDFs;  but it locks up each time....>> 

---

If it's locking up, then you are not giving it enough time to complete the process (be patient and let it run) so it sounds like you can't adequately evaluate the procedure.

BTW, your original post indicated in black-and-white your PDF is 15-25MB, correct? The example post #3 shows KB reduction on a PDF that's originally 53,600KB (or 53.6MB) and the end result is a reduction of 82%.

[Anonymous]

I can try it again.  But yesterday both myself and a colleague tried this method on separate computers and let it load for about 10-15min without success.  Maybe it is because we are using an older version of Acrobat? 

Also, with respect to the command, the file size seems to be less important than the image complexity within PDF.  In other words, the raster image complexity seems to be the culprit for the lock up rather than the PDF size.  I was able to shrink a much larger file fairly quickly, but it did not have the AutoCAD heat map.  The file with the heat map, even though it is only 15mb, is what seems to be causing problems.

[rl_jackson]

Are you using transparency?

I have found that the moment you use transparency it has a tendency to increase file/plot size considerable. Maybe try change your transparent to a color book color and don't set a transparency factor.

[cwr-pae]

What plotter are you using in cad? The DWG to PDF.pc3s or AutoCAD PDF.pc3s from AutoDesk usually print much better/smaller files than Adobe PDF "Printers" and their like.

[jmayo-EE]

I agree, try the Adesk pdf drivers.

[greg]

I was having issues with a large scale project printing large PDF's across all drawings. We found that un-ticking "plot transparency" on plot settings when you print was having a significant impact. i.e 63mb file reduced to 3mb.

My preference for cut/fill drawings now is to use coloured isopachs. i.e blue and dark blue for cut and colour 8/252 for fills for major and minor contours. I find this still shows all the relevant info but makes the file size much more workable.

In drawings that had no hatches plot transparency was still adding a huge amount to the file size so made no difference to turn it off but meant the PDF's are useable.