PDF file size is much higher than expected

[artdude]

I am working on an image-heavy, but short E-Book (64 pages). Just the images on their own, combined, are 4.7 mb.
However, the exported PDF comes to 48 mb  (yes, 48, not "4.8"). I used the export settings shown in the attached image. This doesn't seem right, something I'm missing?

Thanks.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Nermander]

In most cases, the images are not the problem when it comes to a PDF from Scribus.

You can try to make a copy of the file where all images are removed. Then you will see how much space fonts and text takes.


That said, your settings do no resample the images, so some images may be included in a resultion that is a lot higher than would be needed. So after the above test you can try to check the box for maximum image resolution and set it to for example 300 DPI.

[artdude]

Ok, if I remove the images, the PDF is 548 K. I have exported a PDF using super high resolution images and export settings for the print version of the book - and that came to about 96 mb.

So to reiterate:

Images combined memory - 4.7 mb
PDF with only text (no images) - 548 K
Exported PDF with images and text - 48 mb

I don't know what Scribus is doing there ^

[artdude]

UPDATE: Found the issue - on the export settings, I had "Color" set to Grayscale. When I switched it to Screen/Web, the file size came to 5 mb. This still doesn't quite explain the obscene file size for the printed version, which comes in at a whopping 96 mb. While the images are much higher res (combined total of 50 mb), it doesn't explain where that other 46 mb is coming from. Anyway, doesn't really matter for the print version.

[a.l.e]

the grayscale conversion probably explains the size increase:

- scribus is not "very good" at resampling images (most of the time it's worth to edit your images in a bitmap editor before loading them into scribus...): in the fear to break something, scribus is probably generating 100% quality jpg.
- the grayscale images produced by scribus are probably still RGB, so you don't can't take profit from the fact that it could use only one of the channels.

just use gimp to make the images grayscale and you're good : - )