Most people will tell you the best way to create a PDF file optimized for size and appearance is to run a PS file through Acrobat Distiller, which comes with the full Adobe Acrobat package. You can produce a postscript file (.ps) by selecting "Print to File" when printing to a postscript printer driver.
Of course, if you don't have full Acrobat already but you have another program that exports to PDF and you only want to make a PDF or two, exporting may be preferable for you to buying new software. I'd recommend Acrobat if you want to keep making PDF's, however.
Adobe also provides a create-a-PDF online service, free for certain types of files one at a time:
http://cpdf.adobe.com/inde
Then there are non-Adobe PDF applications, like this free one. I use Acrobat, so I haven't tested this myself:
http://www.webxd.com/zipgu
Also, you may not necessarily want to nix the font embedding in favor of smaller file size, especially if the size of your text is important or if you're using a symbol font. If you use a font in your PDF and you don't embed it, someone without that font who opens it will get a character from another font on their system.
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by: leidsonPosted on 2001-03-08 at 08:58:32ID: 5911615
There are actually a few different ways you can make a pdf. If you are working in Illustrator or Photoshop, you can simply save as, then choose pdf from the dropdown list. You'll get prompted to choose the version of acrobat that you'd like compatibility with, what color mode to save as and whether or not to include fonts. I'd include fonts only if you are using a strange font that contributes to the design. This will keep your file size down.