Scanned document pdf file sizes

[Ian Winship]

We are having trouble getting what we think should be sensible file sizes
for scanned documents in pdf format. A complete 20 page document scanned
direct into pdf at 200dpi was 40Mb or more, but if the pages were done
separately and then combined the size was about 650k! Scanning to bitmap and
then converting in Acrobat Writer gives larger sizes. Using Distiller didn't
seem to make a lot of difference.

Can anyone advise or point to guidelines on getting optimum file sizes
versus image quality for various purposes. We are concerned largely with
scanning same size (copyright cleared!) journal articles, book chapters and
similar types of document for users to view or download from our Web site.

(I have looked at some discussion on this list from a couple of years ago,
but wonder what else may have developed since.) 

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Ian Winship
Learning Resources, University of Northumbria at Newcastle  
City Campus Library, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK 
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e-mail: ian.winship at unn.ac.uk                
phone:  0191 227 4150      fax: 0191 227 4563 
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