Batch optimize all pdfs in Papers database

Alec Jacobson

November 16, 2012

weblog/

I use Papers2 to organize the academic papers that I read. I store the Papers database on Dropbox. Currently I have quite a few papers and the size of the database is going close to my Dropbox allowance. Here's what I did to reduce the database size by about 50% using Adobe Acrobat Pro 9:

Back up using:
```
zip -r Papers2.zip Papers2/
```
In Acrobat open some PDF
Select Advanced > PDF Optimizer...
Set up your according to taste. I use:
- Make compatible with: "Acrobat 5.0 and later"
- Check Images: Downsample: "OFF", Compression: "JPEG", Quality: "Maximum"
- Uncheck Fonts
- Uncheck Transparency
- Uncheck Discard Objects
- Check Discard User Data: Uncheck all, except: "Discard private data of other applications" and "Discard hidden layer content and flatten visible layers"
- Uncheck Clean up
Save these settings as "camera"
Close the pdf optimizer and the current PDF document
Select Advanced > Document Processing > Batch Processing...
Select "New sequence"
Under Run commands on: choose "Selected Folder" and select your Papers2 folder
Under Select output location: "Same folder as originals"
Finally, select Output options... and:
- Select Keep original filenames
- Uncheck Fast web view
- Check PDF Optimizer and under Settings... choose your "camera" preset.
Save and hit Run sequence