I am working on finalizing an electronic version of a large PDF file (600 page NIME proceedings), and have had some problems optimizing the PDF file. This may not be so strange, since the file is an assembly of 130 individual PDF files all made by different people and using all sorts of programs and OS.
Usually, PDFCompress works wonders when it comes to reducing PDF file sizes, but for the proceedings-file it choked at some of the fonts. Strangely enough, Acrobat Pro also encountered problems, and with no useful explanation on what went wrong.
Fortunately, OSX came to the rescue. When saving a PDF file in OSX it is possible to apply a quartz filter. And OSX had no problems saving and reducing a new PDF file of the proceedings-file. However, the built-in “reduce file size” filter reduced the images too much. But I found an explanation on how to create your own quartz filters, where it is possible to choose compression settings.
I find it strange that Acrobat Pro couldn’t do the job, but I am very happy to have found a solution.