Manager Pdf File Size

@lubos I am busy working on adding my suppliers invoices to my purchase invoices in Manager.

I noticed that most invoices are around 25-50kb. A couple of invoices were larger due to embedded fonts or invoices being scanned in as an image. So I have been busy compressing the larger invoices to prevent Manager database from ballooning.

This made me wonder what pdf file size Manager creates. Upon testing, I see the invoice size is 91kb in size and it seems to be embedded fonts that is causing the file size increase. Removing embedded fonts decreases the file size to 20kb. However this messes up the look and fonts of the invoice in the case of Manager, although when compressing certain other (but not all) invoices removing embedded fonts decreases file size but does not impact look (I suspect that the embedded fonts are for other oses).

Is it possible to design Manager not to use embedded fonts as 70% of the file size is due to embedded fonts. While 92kb does not sound like a lot, if I want to upload say 1000 invoices to my CRM Helpdesk system this will take up 100mb whereas 20kb files will only take up 20mb!

Is there not a system font that is shared by Linux, Windows and Macs that could be used?

The embedded fonts are the Noto family, which is necessary to accommodate generating PDFs in all the languages Manager is translated into. These were actually removed at one point, but a third-party bug reappeared and made them necessary again. If you search, you will find some discussions about the Noto fonts.

I have just had a quick look at past posts. I see that it was originally implemented because Manager crashed on Macs. That was fixed, but then it had to be re-introduced because system fonts did not work reliably for some reason.

So I imagine that Lubos will re-introduce system fonts at some point in the future once whatever the problem with system fonts is fixed.

I don’t have any problems using Noto fonts, apart from the pdf file size.

I wonder if it would make sense to have fonts in the localisation part of the program as most users don’t need 70 languages, unless they don’t know what languages their clients speak. In my line of work, English is the only language I need as I work with local businesses rather than members of the public, but obviously other people will have different requirements I guess.

So perhaps users could just install the Noto font for their language in the localisation area. It would reduce the file size of pdf’s dramatically.

Installing fonts via localizations would undermine the recently added ability to set language preference on a per user basis.

PDF should always embed fonts. This is so PDF renders exactly the same way on every computer. Today and also in 10, 20, 30 years…

Historically, old PDF standard did have 14 base fonts which were meant to be supported by all PDF readers but it didn’t work reliably. And font linking is not really suitable for long-term archiving.

New PDF standard PDF/A requires all fonts to be embedded. Manager generates PDF files as per new PDF/A specification. So fonts will be always embedded because it is a standard - it’s not an option.

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I will have to see if my website developer can somehow use some kind of SIS (single instance store) to allow me to store my pdf’s on the CRM without taking up 100kb per pdf.

Or I may consider using Nitro Pdf to create these pdf’s because while it changes the font, the file size is a third of the file size of Manager’s default pdf size.

I understand the point of embedding fonts, I am just looking at ways to reduce the file sizes as it grows very quickly despite 100kb being very small to start with.