Bill D -

The 290 MB PDF did reduce quite a bit when I rebuilt it to "web resolution." I usually do the first construction as "production quality" with scans at 300 dpi so that pages are printable at "as good as you can get" when you apply realistic criteria to most printers.

It came down to 37,800 KB when I reprocessed it to "web size." Since the scores have to remain as images it's a lot bigger than a plain text book of similar size would be.

The biggest "book" I've converted thus far was the "Service & Overhaul Manual" set for my Chevy. That was 4 volumes, 8.5 x ll pages, about 1200 pp per volume, and it was taking up 17+ inches of shelf. It was also impossible to read when you needed it just due to the bulk.

I scanned that one into "sections" with most of them being about 300 KB or so, at my normal higher resolution. It broke down into 54 separate pdf files, with a total of 7.5 GB (after processing to make the individual files all searchable). I'll admit that the scans on that one took the better part of a week, but NOW IT'S ALL SEARCHABLE so I can find how to turn the #@$!% headlights off if I want to park for a while. The really good find so far was how to turn off the "Change Engine Oil Soon" message if I want to do my own oil changes on it. (It's not something you might guess how to do.)

Cuttting the pages out of $175 worth of books to scan them, and throwing it all in the recycle bin when it's done, is something that sort of makes you cringe a bit; but it's worth it to make it usable and to get rid of the unnecessary bulk on the shelf. As long as you can find the files when you need 'em.

John