Does anyone know of a third party software or plug-in that can effectively downsize our PDF catalogs (sent to printers) so that it is a manageable size for download on the web, yet retain sharp optimized images. I find that using the compression offered in InDesign's PDF export leaves the images too fuzzy and full of JPEG artifacts. I would imagine such a software to have the ability to convert images to RGB, downsize them to be used at 100%, sharpen and change to 72dpi before creating the PDF. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
It's an interesting question but the good thing is your original content is high resolution and you have a good starting point. Albeit not an Adobe solution but have you looked into the plug-in from Enfocus Software called 'Pitstop Professional'? Adobe has created a plug-in eco-system with Acrobat and the Enfocus Pitstop Pro software might be ideal for your situation.
Just go to www.enfocus.com and select 'Pitstop Pro' - there's a free and fully functional 30-day trial so you can try out the options. Tip - once the PDF is launched, hit command/alt/p and the new profile option appears - I would suggest the 'global changes' or the 'action lists'.
Hope this helps and come back with your comments,
All the best,
Jon
I've been using Acrobat since v1.0 and still get amazed by its power. An Acrobat ACE since 1999