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If for some reason I want to create the lightest document (in terms of the weight of the output file, not the font), what would be some good practices? Specifically in terms of:

  • Packages: do they add significant weight to the file? Are there some which are particularly heavy?
  • Graphics: should they be EPS, PDF? Some other format? Is TIKZ code always lighter?
  • Classes: do some add more bulk than others?
  • (Some other important things I'm sure I'm missing...)

Of course I could just start trying to "play" with the above mentioned elements, but I was hoping to get an informed answer, not just the result of trial-and-error experiments.

lockstep
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han-tyumi
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    What kind of a document do you have in mind? For example, whether or not there are graphics can make a huge difference. – A.Ellett Mar 11 '14 at 04:45
  • The smallest files tend to be those with nothing(!) but text in them; and the less text, the smaller the file. Ghostscript, however, can do wonders when it comes to shrinking the size of a PDF. What are the constraints you have in mind; or, how much 'streamlining' do you hope to achieve? – jon Mar 11 '14 at 05:17
  • Is it PDF file size you mean here? – percusse Mar 11 '14 at 08:46
  • Related: http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/2198/how-to-create-small-pdf-files-for-the-internet/ – Torbjørn T. Mar 11 '14 at 08:57
  • Thank you for all the comments. I'm not thinking about a specific document - I just wanted to know some techniques and "best practices". The related topic posted by Torbjørn has some interesting answers, though. – han-tyumi Mar 11 '14 at 10:10

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As far as graphics go, you should use EPS or PDF, as they are vector graphics, which uses less space. However, if you use PDF you must define a bounding box for the image, so it gets a little more complicated.

As far as shrinking the size of your file, I have found the best method is to use the "Reduce File Size" feature in acrobat pro (it is under the "document" menu).

Euler
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