Squeezing html files to pdf problem

22 page 225k html file --> pdf is 4.3MB (was 12MB)

[Paco]

I have a bunch of text only html pages that I want to convert to pdf. The problem is that the resulting pdf's are huge. As an example, a 22 page (once printed) (225k) becomes a 4.3 MB monster.

html files are text only, no images. They are parts of a phone directory which I format as html using asp. Only text, tables and css are used.

I've used Acrobat distiller, from Acrobat 5, using 72dpi resolution and not embeding the fonts. Before playing with distiller setings, the pdf was over 12MB.

What I'm I missing here? The old phone directory pdf with the same information, converted from M$ Word was under 100k.

[Paco]

Experimenting a bit I've noticed that if I take the css out, the file gets to 156k. Of course, it looks ugly as all formatting is lost.

Here are my styles (I know, not the best css you've seen):

thead {
display: table-header-group;}
tfoot {
display: table-footer-group; }
.header, .footer {
text-align : center;
vertical-align : middle;
border : 1;
font-size : 16px;
border-style : solid;
font-family : Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}
.footer {
font-size : 10px;
font-style : bold;}
.small td {
font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: 10px;
border-style : dotted none none none;
border-top-width : 1px;
background : fff; }
.normal td {
font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-style: normal;
font-size: 12px;
border-style : none;}
.employeelist td {font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
font-style: normal;
font-size: 12px;
border-style : dotted none none none;
border-top-width : 1px;}

[plumsauce]

why not try:

html+css -> ms word -> pdf?

the reasoning is that adobe might
understand ms word better than html+css.

[bcolflesh]

Adobe has some file size tips here:

adobe.com/epaper/tips/acr6optimize/main.html

[Paco]

why not try:
html+css -> ms word -> pdf?

the reasoning is that adobe might
understand ms word better than html+css.

I've tried opening the html from word and then printing but it wasn't much help.

[Paco]

Adobe has some file size tips here:
adobe.com/epaper/tips/acr6optimize/main.html

Looks very promising. When I get back to work in a few days I'll let you know the results.

thanks.

[rossH]

Paco

I don't understand quite what you're using when you say Distiller.

Could you elaborate on the actual process you use to make the file?

I have Acrobat installed and I can print a webpage using Acrobat PDFWriter (one of my printer options)

I can print (from IE 6) this WW page we're on as about a 20K pdf file.

[Paco]

I don't understand quite what you're using when you say Distiller.

Could you elaborate on the actual process you use to make the file?

I have Acrobat installed and I can print a webpage using Acrobat PDFWriter (one of my printer options)

I can print (from IE 6) this WW page we're on as about a 20K pdf file.

RossH:

This is the process I follow:

- open page in browser, IE 5.5
- File - print
- select acrobat distiller from list of printers
- change settings if required (like changing print quality to 72 dpi from the advanced settings in the "paper/quality" tag, or the pdf settings from the Adobe pdf settings tag.

I've printed this thread page and it's 42k.

[Paco]

The problem was with the dotted lines

border-style : dotted none none none;

After making lines solid, pdf's are of a reasonable size.