The built-in “Reduce File Size” Quartz filter can take a 10.2mb presentation down to 0.6mb in a flash. I’ve always wanted an in-between; something that can take 10.2mb down to 3.0mb or so and still look nice. To do this, you use a little built-in utility called ColorSync.

ColorSync allows you to create your own Quartz filters.

1. Open ColorSync (Applications > Utilities > ColorSync Utility)
2. Hit “Filters”
3. Hit the arrow to the right of the “Reduce File Size” filter and select “Duplicate Filter”
4. Double click on the new filter “Reduce File Size copy” and rename it to something like “Reduce File Size HQ”
5. Hit the drop-down arrow next to “Reduce File Size HQ”
6. Hit the drop-down arrow next to “Image Sampling”
7. Fill in the following options:

   Scale: 80%
   Resolution: <leave blank>
   Max: 768
   Min: 128
   Quality: High

8. You’re done! Now open any PDF, and select File > Save As…
9. Select your newly-created Quartz filter under the “Quarts” drop-down menu, and save your new PDF.

Mimsy: Quality reduced file size in Mac OS X Preview.

This routine provides a password to unprotect your worksheet. However, it may not give you the original password that was used.

• Open the workbook that has the protected sheet in it. Hit Alt+F11 to view the Visual Basic Editor. Hit Insert-Module and paste this code into the right-hand code window:

Sub PasswordBreaker()
 'Author unknown but submitted by brettdj of www.experts-exchange.com

 Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer
 Dim l As Integer, m As Integer, n As Integer
 Dim i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer, i3 As Integer
 Dim i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer
 On Error Resume Next
 For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66
 For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66
 For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66
 For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126

 ActiveSheet.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
 Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _
 Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
 If ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
 MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
 Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
 Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
 ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Select
 Range("a1").FormulaR1C1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
 Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
 Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
 Exit Sub
 End If
 Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
 Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next

End Sub

• Close the VB Editor window. Navigate to the worksheet you want to unprotect. Hit Tools-Macro-Macros and double-click PasswordBreaker in the list.

Original tutorial can found at The Office Experts Sample VBA.