Exported PDFs are larger in file size from Illustrator 2026 compared to Illustrator 2025

Forum|Forum|25 days ago
March 11, 2026
2 replies
92 views

I’ve run into an issue where file sizes are increasing dramatically between Illustrator 2025 to 2026. I recently updated my software but am running into the same issues. Is this still occurring for anyone else? My original link is below, but it no longer goes anywhere. Anyone know how to redirect this URL to continue the conversation?
https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/file-size-increase-moving-from-2025-to-2026/m-p/15634629*M459851

Anubhav M

Community Manager

Hello @_wckdTall_ @keithg95767759

I’m sorry to hear you’re still having trouble with this. Could you confirm the exact version of the OS/Illustrator installed, a screenshot of the PDF export settings used, and a link to a sample AI & PDF file, so we can check this further with the team?

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Anubhav

K

keithg95767759

Participant

I’ve been having this issue as well. Something changed with Illustrator in late 2025 when I save PDF files with zero file compression (to preserve quality and editability). I’ve been using the same PDF preset for a decade with no issues, now since upgrading in late 2025, the same preset is creating PDF files that are half a gig in size. I have to open the PDF’s in Acrobat, resave them and the file size magically returns to a normal manageable size with full Illustrator editability preserved as well. There are a number of other online threads with chatter about this same problem.

_wckdTall_Author

Inspiring

Thanks for confirming. I realized I mis-titled, it’s not pattern specific.

@lsmetak are you also still encountering this?

I’m on Illustrator 30.2.1. Adobe’s former rec for testing on 12/15/2025:

Thanks for bringing this up. I tested a similar workflow in Illustrator 2026(v30.1) and only saw a small increase in file size, so the jump you're seeing doesn't seem to happen with all files. To understand this better, could you please confirm the exact version of Illustrator 2026you're using, such as v30.0 or v30.1, OS details and also check whether the Create PDF Compatible File option was enabled when saving. This setting adds PDF data inside the .ai file, which can noticeably increase file size even with minor edits. You can also review this article on optimizing Illustrator and PDF file sizes for more details: https://adobe.ly/3MwoGkM
It would also help if you could share one of the affected AI 2025 files, so we can look at what might be contributing to the increase and try to reproduce it on our side. If the file is confidential, feel free to send it via DM using any cloud-sharing service like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Looking forward to your update.
Abhishek

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