File sizes in Preview

[londonboy]

I read a lot of articles in pdf form (grad student) and would like to make annotations on them. I've been trying to do this in Preview (in snow leopard), but even making a couple of annotations radically increases the file size to a point where this is using up a lot of disk space. Using the reduce file size when you save reduces the file size but massively reduces the quality. Are there any other free programs that people recommend that allow one to make highlights/annotations that can be seen in other pdf viewers without massively increasing file size in the way that Preview does?

Also, if it was possible a program in which you had the option to email a clean version of the file (i.e. without the annotations), that would be great.

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[r0k]

Are you making graphical markups like freehand drawing and underlining? I would stick with the "text markup" tools in preview and the file sizes should stay smaller.

 

[londonboy]

I'm only using the highlight and note markup tools - preview is still massively increasing file sizes...

 

[r0k]

I'm only using the highlight and note markup tools - preview is still massively increasing file sizes...

I tried to reply earlier but I guess my dog ate my post. Anyway, I reluctantly hesitate to recommend Adobe Acrobat. I used it a few semesters ago when the prof kept sending out PDFs with formulas that wouldn't display correctly in Preview. If you do install Acrobat, please make sure you don't let it run roughshod over your Mac by making itself the default app for PDF files. It's tolerable as an application but is nowhere near as quick as Preview and Quick View and there is no guarantee that markups you make in Acrobat would result in any smaller files than markups in Preview.