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Melissa34468433i67q
Participant
January 6, 2025
Question

File Bloating Issue - InDesign Blank File Saving as 800 MB File

  • January 6, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 270 views

Hello - I recently noticed that creating a new InDesign from scratch with nothing in it is resulting in a immesely bloated file at 800 MB. I de-installed InDesign and re-installed and this is not changing anything. Help!

4 replies

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Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 8, 2025

Reinstalling rarely fixes everything - you can do a complete reinstall using the
Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 7, 2025

Save the fie as IDML, open that and resave as INDD.

M
Melissa34468433i67qAuthor
Participant
January 6, 2025

Hi - Because the file is so big it was taking over 30 min to package so I stopped that. I am not able to create another profile. I looked at linked assets and saw none. And I restarted to clear preferences. This did not change anything. I think this has happened after the most recent InDesign update in the past few weeks. I am asking my company's IT group for help since they are listed as the adminitrator of Adobe accounts.

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
January 6, 2025

So this is not an entirely new, blank file — your first post sort of implied that, which would be mystifying.

 

As an aside, reinstalling InDesign almost never fixes any problems — the steps to clear preferences and cache are much more useful and reinstalling does not necessarily execute those processes.

 

When you have a bloated file, it's usually from a very large amount of undo or image preview data. When you edit a file and save it a number of times, the bloat just grows and grows.

 

The first step to reduce file size is to do a Save-As to a new name; this purges all the "back end" information as if it's a new file. This is a good practice to get into with files you edit in multiple sessions or over time, especially if you use the action to create a string of backup files with interative or dated names.

 

If that doesn't reduce the file size, try saving/exporting to IDML, them open that file and save it again as INDD under a new name. That both purges old working data and rewrites the structure of the file, fixing all kinds of small glitches. (This is another good practice any time a file stops doing simple things like drawing new graphics properly or inserting footnotes — the file is corrupt, but not enough to keep chugging along.)

 

I suspect you did something with a very large resource and the import/preview data was much bigger than normal — so if one of these techniques fixes it, report back with some details about the project and maybe we can avoid a repeat of the problem in the future.

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    January 6, 2025

    Hi @Melissa34468433i67q,

     


    I'm sorry to hear about the file bloating issue you're experiencing. Let get this sorted for you!
    Could you share a bit more information to narrow it down?
    1. Which operating system (Windows/Mac) and version are you using?
    2. When did this issue start? Was InDesign working fine before?
    3. Have you made any recent changes to your system, like updates, plugins, or other software installations?

     

    Additionally, could you package the bloated file (File > Package) and upload it to a cloud service like WeTransfer or Google Drive, then share the link?

    Reference: Preflight files in InDesign before handoff to a service provider

    This will help us examine the file for any underlying issues.

     

    In the meantime, would you mind trying below suggestion?
    1. Reset InDesign Preferences:
     - On Windows: Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift while launching InDesign.
     - On Mac: Press Cmd + Option + Shift while launching InDesign.
     - This resets preferences and might resolve any corruption.
    Reference: https://adobe.ly/3Pp1DGB
    2. Open your blank file and go to File > Package to check for linked assets or embedded data that might be causing the bloating.
    3. Create a new user profile on your computer and launch InDesign there. This can help identify if the issue is system-specific.
    Reference:
    For macOS: https://adobe.ly/3PlCRr0
    For Windows: https://adobe.ly/3Pr4IpQ


    Let me know how it goes and feel free to share additional details.

     

    Best,
    Abhishek Rao

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