[scribus] Feedback - on File Size Reduction.

[Ian "Witty" Whitfield]

Hi All

Just thought a bit of feedback might be appreciated.

I've been using Scribus for a year now - and love it. I do have a few 
problems here and there but nothing major. My one BIG complaint however 
is file size. I produce a monthly Journal that goes out via eMail only 
and my file size has been around 4 to 6Mb!

I picked-up reference to a file size reduction method on the list here 
and was pointed to it on the Scribus Wiki. It uses pdftops and ps2pdf13 
as the way to reduce the size of the file of Web or eMail documents. The 
link is 
http://wiki.scribus.net/index.php/Reduce_the_size_of_Scribus_generated_PDFs

The two step reduction process I'm using is -

   1.

      Export from Scribus as PDF (1.3 or 1.4), embedding all fonts, no
      font subsetting, no image subsampling → PDF File [approx 6 MB]

   2.

      Convert to PS using `pdftops -level3' → PDF File.ps [huge – about
      50Mb]
      [cd to directory then pdftops -level3 PDF File Name.pdf New File
      Name.ps]

   3.

      Convert back to PDF with 'ps2pdf13 ' and 'Ghostscript' (subsetting
      fonts, subsampling images) → PDF File_compact.pdf [approx 1.5MB].
      [ps2pdf13 New File Name.ps Reduced PDF File.pdf]

(Change file names as you need to)

It works like a charm!!! My file sizes are now all down around 1.5Mb and 
the only changes I see are the odd font change which maybe due to not 
embedding some fonts on my side. I will fine-tune this as we go on. But 
a reduction of 75% in the finished size with no noticable loss in 
quality is amazing!! IMHO this should be an option in Scribus itself!!

So bottom line - if you don't need the "High Definition" PDF File for a 
printer and are only producing documents for the Web or distribution via 
eMail - GIVE THIS A TRY.

Thanks to all who helped!

Ian Whitfield.