[ncl-talk] How to reduce the size of PDF outputs

[Sri Nandini]

Hello

I am plotting  panel figures in NCL which result in a very large pdf output size (2.3 MB).
Attached below is the script i use , only the plotting resources are shown.

I would be  grateful if someone could advice on drastically reducing the size of these pdf outputs because, upon importing them into word, they crash the word document.

;==================================================================
;Here is a section of my code that draws a color fill plot
;====================================================================

   wks = gsn_open_wks("pdf","all_evap")

   gsn_define_colormap(wks,"wgne15")

   ;also can use precip4_diff_19lev.rgb , precip_diff_12lev.rgb  precip3_16lev.rgb precip4_11lev.rgb precip2_17lev.rgb wgne15

  res = True

  res at cnFillOn                    = True               ; turn on color fill
  ;res at gsnSpreadColors      = True                ; use full colormap

  res at cnLinesOn            = False               ; turn off contour lines
  res at cnLevelSelectionMode = "ManualLevels"  ; set manual contour levels
  res at cnMinLevelValF       = 0            ; set min contour level
  res at cnMaxLevelValF       =  4            ; set max contour level
  res at cnLevelSpacingF      =  0.5            ; set contour spacing

  res at gsnDraw              = False           ; Do not draw plot
  res at gsnFrame             = False           ; Do not advance frome
  res at lbLabelBarOn         = False              ; turn off individual label bars
  res at tiMainString         = " "

  res at gsnCenterString      = " "
  res at gsnLeftString        = " "
  res at gsnRightString        = " "
  res at cnRasterModeOn        = True       ; Raster mode shows grid cells


  minlat = 25.                          ; min lat to mask
  maxlat = 80.                          ; max lat to mask
  minlon = -10.                          ; min lon to mask
  maxlon =  110.                          ; max lon to mask

  res at mpProjection = "LambertConformal"            ; choose projection

;---masked plot
  res at gsnAddCyclic = True                ; regional plot

  res at mpMinLatF = minlat              ; min lat to mask
  res at mpMaxLatF = maxlat              ; max lat to mask
  res at mpMinLonF = minlon              ; min lon to mask
  res at mpMaxLonF = maxlon              ; max lon to mask

  res at gsnMaskLambertConformal = True                ; turn on lc masking
  
;==================================Create arrays to hold series of plots
    plot = new(9,graphic)   

    res at gsnCenterString             = "a) PI"
  res at gsnStringFontHeightF = 0.017
  plot(0)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveX,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "b) 9 kyr"
  plot(1)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "c) LIG"
  plot(2)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY8,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "d) 15.2 kyr"
  plot(3)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY2,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "e) LGM"
  plot(4)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY4,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "f) 35 kyr"
  plot(5)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY6,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "g) HE1"
  plot(6)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY3,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "h) LGM HE"
  plot(7)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY5,res)

  res at gsnCenterString             = "i) HE4"
  plot(8)  = gsn_csm_contour_map(wks,aveY7,res)

    printVarSummary(plot)

  ;add_lc_labels(wks,plot,minlat,maxlat,minlon,maxlon) ; attach latitude labels

;=====================================Attach the polylines
   ADD_SHAPEFILE_OUTLINES = True
   sname = "Caspian_Basin.shp"

   pres             = True
   pres at gsLineColor = "black"
   pres at gsLineThicknessF = 2.0            ; 3x thickness

    shp1 = gsn_add_shapefile_polylines(wks,plot,sname,pres) 
    printVarSummary(shp1)

;==================================
; panel resources for the 4 plots
;==================================
  pres1                     = True             ; modify the panel plot
  pres1 at gsnPanelLabelBar    = True             ; common label bar

  pres1 at lbBoxEndCapStyle    = "TriangleBothEnds"; Added in NCL V6.4.0
  ;pres1 at gsnMaximize        = True             ; large format in landscape

  pres1 at lbTitleString        = "Evaporation [ mm/day ]"                ; title string
  pres1 at lbTitlePosition      = "bottom"              ; title position
  pres1 at lbTitleFontHeightF   = .012                ; make title smaller
  pres1 at pmLabelBarOrthogonalPosF =-0.01              ;-- move the labelbar upward
  pres1 at lbTitleDirection     = "Across"             ; title direction
  pres1 at lbLabelFontHeightF = 0.01
  ;pres1 at gsnPanelBottom     = 0.01

   gsn_panel(wks,plot,(/3,3/),pres1)


end

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