Merging .pdf pages into a layout


wkshank
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I would be very grateful to know how others handle this:  I create most of the pages of a drawing set for permitting but have an engineering group create pages where a stamp is needed.  They furnish these pages as .PDF files.  I have been able to separate their pages using Google Chrome so that I can insert their pages where they go (I crop them so I can import them onto my sheet and provide page title and numbering).

 

To submit to the city for permitting, the set must be all one single .PDF file, so I can't simply divide their pages out from mine as two separate submitted files.

 

PROBLEM:  when I merge their PDF files into my set, the file size becomes HUGE -- so large that Google won't e-mail without multiple issues.  Is there a trick I need to know when importing these .PDF bits into my layout file?

 

Help?

 

(x6 user)

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Dropbox works well for submitting to the printer, but when uploading to the city's website it snags.  Just wondering if there's a trick to reducing the file size at some point before trying to upload to the city?

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If you are using Adobe acrobat, they have a "save and send" tool that you can send any size file you want.

 

As far as getting Pdf's to the layout, just use the Pdf import tool where you can import just one page of a 20 page doc, if you want.

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Dropbox works well for submitting to the printer, but when uploading to the city's website it snags.  Just wondering if there's a trick to reducing the file size at some point before trying to upload to the city?

 

Which version of adobe are you using? 

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David - I'm not using any Adobe if I can help it!  The engineer firm creates the .pdf on their end, and I'm simply importing it. (I do have acrobat but avoid its daily updates and don't want to buy their products because of the junk they add to my computer.). 

 

When I print the layout (make a PDF), I'm using the "save as PDF" option.

 

Shane - what is the name of your PDF shrinker?

 

Drawzilla - thanks! Didn't realize you could import just a page at a time in CA.

 

I will contact the city and see if there's a way to submit plans without the upload step.  Dropbox works for everyone else...

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David - I'm not using any Adobe if I can help it!  The engineer firm creates the .pdf on their end, and I'm simply importing it. (I do have acrobat but avoid its daily updates and don't want to buy their products because of the junk they add to my computer.). 

 

When I print the layout (make a PDF), I'm using the "save as PDF" option.

 

 

I'm assuming you are referring to McAfee? You can just choose to not install it  :) ... unless there's other bloatware that I'm not aware of? 

Adding and removing pages in Adobe is extremely simple and, like Perry said above, you can also select to reduce file size. 

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Yes - the McAfee, and whatever else is causing them to request I update Adobe nearly EVERY DAY??  Maybe that nonsense stops when you shell out the money to buy the premium version, which it sounds like i may need to do.

 

Thanks all for your help ... it sounds like I'm not doing anything unusual or wrong when importing .pdf pages, which ends up creating these huge file sizes.  Just wondered if there was a C.A. option box I need to check or uncheck when importing or printing to .pdf that would reduce the file size.  Guess not!

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In regards to what Lew suggested: you could also find some very thin parchment, place it on top of your monitor and trace what you see in Ox blood. Then start feeding a small horse until it is mature enough to carry you and the parchment pages to the building department.

 

Sorry Lew, (please take it in fun banter) but your method does sound like creating a problem due to blurry text after the pdf (lossless compression) is taken to a high loss process.

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Well Lew and I must be similar thinkers (should I be concerned?)  because last night I actually did try a screen capture of the pdf, turned that into a jpg file, and imported.  Printed that test page today, and YES it is pretty fuzzy.  Definitely cut down on the file size, though!

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There's cutepdf out there, very effective and cheap.

 

Importing pdf into CA is not productive, and should be avoided. 

Many times we use pdf's as underlays to retrace plans, however, finding other formats that are easier for CA to handle seems a better option.

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