Why does RTF filesize increase?

[46137]

I do use word. I've tried various things (except track changes) such as open office wordpad etc and the only thing I've found to really slim down is to save as txt. I often apply macros you see so need to use word. A lot of the docs I use are educational pdfs and they need to be converted so I can actually read them!!!

[brewt]

Using Word with the base styles, i.e., Normal, Heading 1-2-3, produces a smaller file than if you modify the styles with "non-normal" fonts, such as substituting Tahoma for Times New Roman on Normal - it tries to embed the font with the file. Selecting all of a style you are using, clear formatting, then re-apply the style also strips our some unseen weirdnesses.

Saving the rtf file as "Web Page, Filtered" often produces a smaller file (though not always) than an RTF file, particularly if you have graphics - rtf in Word converts them to bitmaps and embeds them in the file; the web pages saves them as jpgs in a separated subdirectory.

Word 2003 and below also produces smaller files than Word 2007, if you can get it.

-bjc

[46137]

Tried all that. The problem only occurs with find and replace. Anything that removes the formatting causes problems. I'm a UK teacher living in peru and often download documents from the DfES website and they sure do like bullet points!!!

[brewt]

Hmmmm.


I had me an original 728 kb rtf file, replaced all 4,000+ straight quotes with smart quotes, the file became 928, saved as an rft. Did it again, same (now 928k rtf file), repalced the same 4000+ quotes, saved it to a now-1018kb file. One more time: 1248 kb.

Took the 1248 kb rtf file, save it as html-filtered, it went back to 928 kb, then saved it again as an rtf to 978 kb.

Might need to find a word-junk-stripper-file, let's see, where did I put that?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/834427


AND:
IT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.........
................rrrrrrr..........................
.............wait wait wait wait..........
................................
........

Doy. Do what makes you happy in Word, because it is better at editing things and macros and styles, etc.

Then open it and save it in WordPad: My file is now 597kb.

-bjc

[46137]

That is what I do but it is still freaky

1 file saved as an rtf in wp is 517kb. Open in word and add meta data... 728kb. Adding the data is the only difference but seems to be worth214kb..... bloody long title me thinks!

Open ofice is worse.... 517 magically becomes 1.67mb!! hehe

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by 46137

That is what I do but it is still freaky

1 file saved as an rtf in wp is 517kb. Open in word and add meta data... 728kb. Adding the data is the only difference but seems to be worth214kb..... bloody long title me thinks!

Open ofice is worse.... 517 magically becomes 1.67mb!! hehe

Have you checked to make sure that your RTF editor is NOT loading in the font files for each new font you use? All it takes is for you to, say, change the chapter titles from 28pt Arial to 24pt Georgia - when you've never used Georgia in the file - and Georgia's font info is added in. Unless you set the options to not do so. It's an easy way to rack up megabytes in an rtf file.

Derek

[46137]

Even if I just add metadata the bloody thing swells!!

I only use Arial 16pt so should be system anyway

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by 46137

Even if I just add metadata the bloody thing swells!!

Remember, you not just adding metadata, you are adding all the RTF markup (metadata) that contains that information. It also could be that even if you add one metadata item the document includes a full metadata section that wasn't there in the first place.

RTF is actually a pretty verbose markup languge. I think it even has more overhead than html markup.

BOb

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

RTF is actually a pretty verbose markup languge. I think it even has more overhead than html markup.

BOb

That's putting it kindly!

Derek

[HarryT]

RTF was primarily intended to be a file interchange format, rather than a permanent storage format, so it's deliberately "verbose" to make it easy to parse.

[Dan23]

Open the rtf in wordpad and then resave it. It will get small again

[46137]

Originally Posted by Dan23

Open the rtf in wordpad and then resave it. It will get small again

I know, which is one way I do it, but it still gets much bigger as soon as you add metadata, which you can't do in Wp.

The best way to get the smallest files is to save as txt files and reformat, but I want to retain the format. As soon as you open in word to add the data it always jumps.

Run a macro on it and it can go from 500kb to 5mb easily, so then it is an endless circle of resave, reformat.

[Patricia]

Why not experiment with using DOC files and loading them on the Reader via the Sony ebook library software? It will automatically convert DOC to RTF.
(You did mention that you used Word.)

Or try working throughout in DOC and then using 'save as rtf' at the very end of the edit?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by 46137

I know, which is one way I do it, but it still gets much bigger as soon as you add metadata, which you can't do in Wp.

Have you tried OpenOffice/SunOffice or MS Works instead? What about Google Docs? Although I don't think it will make much difference considering RTF is a standard.

BOb

[46137]

OpenOffice is even more horrific than word.

I always save as rtf at the end. I just think I have to put up with it. Pain though