Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

[Jonas]

Hi maybe this isn't the right place in the forum nor the right forum but since I know you all are helpful it's a good place to start.

I have this inkcape file ( a poster ) that I want to save as a .pdf for a (presumably) Mac, to print it. Problem is that when I "write" it to a .pdf the single side poster is more then 50 MB. This is a known "issue" in Inkscape.

Uncompressed PDF Output

At this time, it looks as if Inkscape only outputs uncompressed PDF output. Once you export a PDF, look at its file size. If it is too large for your application, then export the exact same file to EPS (encapsulated postscript) and then use epstopdf to convert the file to PDF. This will make a compressed PDF.

As an illustration, my 72 page document went from 80 megabytes down to 3.1.

http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index....nt_PDF_Support

This workaround don't seem to work for me, there's no option to export a EPS, what I have is only bitmap export, and the "print to file" options given are pdf, ps and svg.

Ive tried to use other Linux software that seem to have EPS support by default. But they don't import (without loss) inkscape made svg's

I dont have much help from the guy who is to print it - he only wants " a normal .pdf", which would be a compressed pdf.

Long story short- have anyone made a compressed pdf with inkscape ?(quote above don't seem to work) and EPS seem to loose transparency as far as I understood.

thank you for any help

Jonas

EDIT; I've had on different CLI solutions xxxtopdf but haven't found any that suit my specific problem.

[slush1000]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

there's no option to export a EPS

Save to EPS in Inkscape with File>Save A Copy...

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Another possibility, though not a very elegant one:

Save the file as a GIMP xcf, then load it into GIMP, then print it to a pdf file.
Or save it as a png or some other format, and use one of the converters.

[Jonas]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

there's no option to export a EPS

Save to EPS in Inkscape with File>Save A Copy...

think I've tried that, not infront of my computer atm but as I remember when I saved it there was a error, I try it again and reply error output.
Dr.druid- then it'll be a bitmap, with the loss of being "pixly" thank you för replies :-)
/jonas

[slush1000]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Try Scribus.

I did a couple tests with a Real Estate feature sheet I designed. Inkscape directly to PDF created 62MB files.

Test 1 - File size 2.2MB
Opened the Inkscape SVG directly in Scribus. File>Export>Save As PDF...
Exported as PDF 1.6 - you might have to play around with some options (e.g. image dpi)
Issues - Scribus does not support all the features of Inkscape SVG - Elements with Blur and a Radial gradient was not imported properly.

Test 2 - File size 1.9MB
Did File>Save a Copy... and saved as EPS (no errors occured for me)
Opened in Scribus - Exported as PDF 1.6
Issues - A font that I had used a thicker outline on to beefup did not export correctly but was able to solve this by changing the text to a path in Inkscape before exporting to EPS (Path>Object to Path).
Both the radial gradient and blurred elements exported correctly.

[Jonas]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Thank you for the help, I tried scribus and Xara Xrtreme, Scribus open the file but the give the following error (my translation)Xara wont open it;

"the .svg file contains some element that is missing support"

I've tried several different svg's "normal", "inkscape" "extended(?)" and Some things are lost like the font, which shouldn't be to hard to remake/workaround. But some elements are lost and or displaced, this wouldn't be any real problem but it is all imported as one object. Is there anything I'm doing wrong? I haven't worked with Scribus before.

When saving it in Inkscape as a EPS say that "it can't be saved". It make a EPS-file however but the file is 0 kB and wont open in Scruibus. I'm thinking I'm missing some dependencies, installed all I could find on "encapsulated postscript". There's a checkbox with "EPS +LaTeX" - maybe I'll try to install those libraries and have a go with that. - all this confuse me atm.

Here's the svg zipped- http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6800506/affish_3_sep03.svg.zip mind it's 72 MB

best regards

Jonas

edit; if I convert it to .eps using a online service, most is lost in the image

[slush1000]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Download a PDF of your poster here:

http://www.changingpoint.ca/jonas/

I got it down to 5.0MB - I hope it is satisfactory.

Since most of your background elements were rastors already I seperated the text and other vector elements and put them onto their own layer. I then hid that layer and exported the BG layer as a 300dpi PNG (which is more then enough but can go higher if desired - a 600dpi bg >10MB PDF). Deleted all the background elements and replaced it with the exproted PNG.

Then the export to EPS was without errors - opened in Scribus and exported as PDF.

[Jonas]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Download a PDF of your poster here:

http://www.changingpoint.ca/jonas/

I got it down to 5.0MB - I hope it is satisfactory.

Since most of your background elements were rastors already I seperated the text and other vector elements and put them onto their own layer. I then hid that layer and exported the BG layer as a 300dpi PNG (which is more then enough but can go higher if desired - a 600dpi bg >10MB PDF). Deleted all the background elements and replaced it with the exproted PNG.

Then the export to EPS was without errors - opened in Scribus and exported as PDF.

wow mate thank you, I'm very very satisfaied!! brilliant! made workaround with making it a bitmap, but this is much better. so if I move BG elements to a seperate layer and export it separately that would work? I'm not sure I understand how you did this, and there's another poster/flyer thing that I should have printable ready by hopefully tomorrow tuesday - a pdf aswell :S


it's here http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6800506/bono_3sep01.svg.zip as zip

Thank you slush1000, your my saviour!

best regards

Jonas

[slush1000]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Ok. Tell me how it looks. This one is also 5.0MB.

I had to fight with this one a little more to get to export from Inkscape but eventually got it.

Go to the link above again to download.

[Jonas]

Re: Inkscape - compressed .pdf and/or .eps

Ok. Tell me how it looks. This one is also 5.0MB.

I had to fight with this one a little more to get to export from Inkscape but eventually got it.

Go to the link above again to download.

Thank you so very much mate! I'm still not sure how you made this? could you please when you have time write it step by step, because I think I miss some dependencies or something, it puzzles me what I did or didn't do.

Thank you again! you saved my day .. if you come by Stockholm you'll have all the free beer you can drink or in any other way help!

B.R

Jonas