Why is (the size of) my file so large?

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martin
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Why is (the size of) my file so large?

Post by martin »

Most often large file sizes are due to inserted graphics. Nisus Writer always preserves all original image data. So if you insert a 2MB photo, the size of your Nisus Writer file will grow to include that and more.

Image Types
RTF does not support all image types natively. When you insert a non-native image (eg: PDF), Nisus Writer will save both the original image data, as well as an "RTF compatible" image, for the benefit of other applications. The drawback is that non-native images are essentially saved twice, further increasing the size of your file.

Consider inserting image of type JPG, PNG, or PICT, which RTF natively supports.

Escaping
While RTF does allow saving an image as pure "binary data", not all applications support this feature. To be more compatible, Nisus Writer saves image data as "hex" (hexadecimal escaping). This increases the size of the image data by nearly double.

What Can I Do?
The most proactive thing to do is be aware of how large your images are. If you are inserting many multi-megabyte images in a document, there's no way your file will remain small.

If you don't need to exchange your documents with other applications, consider using the file format "Nisus Compressed Rich Text" (zrtf) when saving your files. This file format reduces all waste:
• Only the original image data is saved in the file. No redundant/compatible image data is saved.
• The image data is saved exactly as-is, no "hex" escaping occurs.
• The file is compressed, decreasing the size of the entire file, images included.

If you do need to share your documents with non-Nisus users, consider using the file format "Rich Text Format Directory (RTFD)". It stores all images as separate files, reducing waste. Unfortunately this format isn't supported outside of Mac OS X, so you won't be able to send your files to PC users.

If you need to share your documents with PC users, the best you can do is to compress your file in the Finder before sending it along.
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