Expert: Amy - 8/11/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I am making business cards for myself and my husband. How should I save a file to not lose the quality if I need to go from 24,000 KB to no more than 5MB?? It can be in illustrator format. There are both images and text. Thank you!

ANSWER: Hi Meaghan,

I'd save the file as a PDF with some image compression and embedded fonts (so the file can be printed accurately from someone else's computer).

Depending on the version you've got, you can choose from different levels of compression after you choose "Save As" in the PDF options - and later versions also give you the capability to optimize for web viewing. If you choose Maximum quality, you won't lose enough quality to make a difference but the file size savings is amazing.

Write me back, tell me what version you have, and I can give you some settings to use during save as.

-Amy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much! I have CS 3
ANSWER: Great, I have CS3, too.

Save As PDF
Name it Something New and Click SAVE

General Category
  X Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities
  X Optimize for Fast Web View

Compression Category
    Color Bitmap Images
    Bicubic Downsampling to 300ppi for images above 400ppi
    Compression Automatic (JPEG)
    Image Quality Mamximum

    Grayscale Bitmap Images
    Bicubic Downsampling to 300ppi for images above 400ppi
    Compression Automatic (JPEG)
    Image Quality Mamximum

    Monochrome Bitmap Images
    Do not Downsample

    X Compress Text and Line Art

Output Category
   Color conversion: No conversion
   Profile Inclusion Policy: Don't include profiles

Advanced Category
   Fonts - Subset when less than 100%

Then click Save PDF.
Let me know how well it saves for you, please.

If it's not small enough, go down to the next level of compression for the type of image your b-card includes. If it's a color photo, for example, set compression for color bitmaps to Very High quality down from Maximum.

Note: Not a lot of people include Monochrome bitmaps anymore, and they typically don't take up a lot of space. If you DO have a monochrome bitmap image in your design, just add some compression in that category as well.

Another Note: If your document contains special effects, drop shadows, etc., you'll get another option in the Advanced Category to set the flattener options. Try 300 dpi to start.

Hope this helps!
Amy




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Amy
The info that you gave was super helpful! Thanks! Now the only problem that I still have is the pixel aspect ratio. The company that I am uploading with needs it at .578. I can not find a way to do that in illustrator... I know how to change that in photoshop. any ideas? Thank you again for all of your help! Such a simple task has turned out to be not so simple!
ANSWER: Addition to this answer:
Double click on the Crop Area tool and you will see a field for pixel aspect ratio. You can enter .578 here and use the tool to crop your artwork. But I'm not sure this is what you want? Printers usually want aspect ratio of 1.
-Amy

Hi Meaghan.

That doesn't make much sense. Pixel aspect ratios are usually given as ratios:  4:3  16:9  etc.

And that's usually only when designing for screens (video).

So... what do they mean? Did you read that in their specs somewhere? Point me to it and I'll probably be able to tell you to ignore it. =)

-Amy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Amy
It does say 4:3 in a document that explains how they need your file, but when was uploading it, it did look stretched vertically...and so in photoshop I changed the aspect ratio to .578 and now the picture does not look stretched, but the text does... and my document is a bit larger than the specified for full bleed... Here is exactly what I get when I upload my file:

document size:
required: 2.05" x 3.54"    My File: 2.49" x 3.78"

Aspect ratio:  
required: 0.578          My File: 0.660

File Size:
Required:Under 5MB       My File: 3.58 MB

Resolution:
Required: 300 DPI        My File:320 DPI

everything is acceptable with them except for the aspect ratio...

It is really amazing to me that you all do this out of the kindness of your hearts. Thank you again!  

Answer
Hi again.

Are you uploading a file to an online printing facility?
Could you please point me to their instructions?
Thx
Amy.

PS. If you send me the file, I'll check it to see if it's good to go. Sorry, I've just never had aspect ratios play any part of a printing job. I want to see what it's about. Call me curious!

-AmyLynPace@yahoo.com