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Check boxes dramatically increase the overall file size!

Forum Index > Forms: Acrobat > Check boxes dramatically increase the overall file size!
2010-06-09 11:15:48
smit462
Registered: May 20 2006
Posts: 20

I have an Acrobat form with many text box fields and check box fields. When I add the text boxes, the file size doesn't jump a whole lot, but when I add check boxes, the file size dramatically increases.

Does anyone know a way to keep the file size down when using check boxes?

STEVE MITTEL
Senior Forms Designer
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

My Product Information:
Acrobat Standard 9.3.1
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2010-06-10 04:39:32
#1
Merlin
Acrobat 9ExpertTeam
Registered: Mar 1 2006
Posts: 766
Hi,

File menu > Save as
(not Save)

It's magic!

abracadabraPDF.net

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2010-06-10 06:08:59
#2
smit462
Registered: May 20 2006
Posts: 20
Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that initially, but it didn't help that much.

The problem is that I have a multipage form with well over 200 check boxes, and my file has increased by more than 600K since the fillable fields were added.

I performed a test adding 10 text fields to a basic .PDF document. It increased the filesize bye 4.2K. When I added 10 check boxes to the same .PDF document, it increased the filesize by 15.1K. With each test I did a 'Save As' to a new file.

I thought it might be a font issue, but since check boxes default to using the Adobe Pi font, I don't think that's the issue.

STEVE MITTEL
Senior Forms Designer
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

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2010-06-10 07:52:28
#3
gkaiseril
Expert
Registered: Feb 23 2006
Posts: 4308
With the professional version of Acrobat you will have th 'PDF Optimizer' and the 'Audit Space Usage'. Adding a form field adds additional content and other features needed to support the forms. So a blank page could start with a file size of 7,879 bytes and adding a single combo box with 3 items would result in a new size of 13,130 bytes.

An "Audit of the Space Usage' shows:

| Blank Page | Combo Box |Difference
Description |Bytes |Percentage |Bytes |Percentage |Bytes
Content Streams | 56 | 0.71% | 56 | 0.43% | 0
Fonts | 1,346 | 17.08% | 1,346 | 10.25% | 0
Structure Info | 65 | 0.82% | 61 | 0.46% | -4
Acrobat Forms | 659 | 8.36% | 656 | 5.00% | -3
Document Overhead | 5,538 | 70.29% |10,796 | 82.22% | 5,258
X Object Forms | 215 | 2.73% | 215 | 1.64% | 0
Total | 7,879 | 99.99% |13,130 | 100.00% |5,251

George Kaiser

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