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>300mb pdf files - shrink/convert options?

  • 12-04-2012 8:17pm
    #1
    Priori
    Closed Accounts Posts: 421 ✭✭


    Hi guys,

    I have quite a few large pdfs - books which have been scanned, with the pages as image files. I need to find a way to shrink them or convert them to .doc format.

    In Adobe Reader X the pdf optimizer feature seems to have disappeared. I've investigated a few converters (the most promising being QuickPdf Converter, which wouldn't install) but I'm still no closer to compressing these mofo's to more manageable sizes.

    Ideally I'd like their content to be converted to text, but I'm not too hopeful that there are too many free (OCR) tools out there that could do an accurate job.

    Suggestions more than welcome! Thanks in advance. :)


Comments

  • #2
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Priori wrote: »
    but I'm not too hopeful that there are too many free (OCR) tools out there that could do an accurate job.

    There used to be one excellent free OCR program. It's called TopOCR. Apparently, they're now selling the software only in connection with their book scanner (SnapVision Reading Machine). If you're lucky you'll find TopOCR 3.1 out there, the last free version.

    It was designed to work even with images taken with cr*ppy low res mobile phone cameras and the accuracy is astonishing. I'm sure I still have it somewhere.


  • #3
    _AVALANCHE_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭_AVALANCHE_


    Priori wrote: »
    I've investigated a few converters (the most promising being QuickPdf Converter, which wouldn't install) but I'm still no closer to compressing these mofo's to more manageable sizes.
    Be careful what and where you download from.
    Torqay wrote: »
    If you're lucky you'll find TopOCR 3.1 out there, the last free version.
    Cnet seem to have it with a link back to publisher site.

    I couldn't fault Cnet.


  • #4
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    _AVALANCHE_ wrote: »
    Be careful what and where you download from.

    Cnet seem to have it with a link back to publisher site.

    I couldn't fault Cnet.

    I have come to loath CNET lately, they want you to install their own downloader to get a program (which is OK if you run it in a sandbox).


  • #5
    Overheal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 86,729 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    PDFSAM - freeware.

    Have the same problem and had the same thought today, downloaded my calculus book onto my tablet and it suffers from major performance hiccups, being a huge file. Needs to be broken down by chapter. PDF Split and Merge is something I used at my last job religiously to handle the chore of scanning in floor plans and measurements. They were batch-scanned as one PDF and I used this nifty bastard to trim them all up into separate files within a couple seconds.


  • #6
    yoyo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,017 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Torqay wrote: »
    I have come to loath CNET lately, they want you to install their own downloader to get a program (which is OK if you run it in a sandbox).

    +1, thought that was pritty cheeky. FileHippo and MajorGeeks are good, won't touch Cnet if I can help it.

    Nick

    My Beer Glass collection site 🍺

    My Irish Callcards site



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  • #7
    _AVALANCHE_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,620 ✭✭✭_AVALANCHE_


    Hadn't used it since they brought in their downloader.


  • #8
    Priori
    Closed Accounts Posts: 421 ✭✭Priori


    Thanks guys. Not a fan of their downloader either - sometimes I get prompted to use it, and at other times I don't.

    I'll try out TopOCR and PDFSAM, cheers for the recommendations.


  • #9
    sponge_bob
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 665 ✭✭✭sponge_bob


    have you lowered the quality of your pic/scans before you put them into the pdf document?

    i reduced huge files a while back so that i could send them in pdf format to the australian embassy, the file consisted of 48 .jpg files of scanned bank statements. shrunk that baby down to 4.108kb:cool:


  • #10
    CaSCaDe711
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 813 ✭✭✭CaSCaDe711


    yoyo wrote: »
    +1, thought that was pritty cheeky. FileHippo and MajorGeeks are good, won't touch Cnet if I can help it.

    +1


  • #11
    Priori
    Closed Accounts Posts: 421 ✭✭Priori


    For anyone else who might be having the same problems, the best solution so far (if you can't resize the original images) is to install PrimoPDF and from your PDF Reader, print the .pdf file and set the printer to PrimoPDF. You can then adjust the size by fiddling with the parameters (or use one of the default presets) and it'll create a new pdf.

    I managed to reduce the file size of a few pdfs quite considerably, but unfortunately the output was quite low quality.

    It's best if you can avoid scanning things in as images. If you can use TopOCR from the outset that would be best, provided you have the page completely flat and horizontally straight.


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