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Participant
November 6, 2025
Answered

Large file size when exporting as a PDF - InDesign 2026

  • November 6, 2025
  • 58 replies
  • 2791 views

InDesign 2026, exporting to a small PDF file doesn't work!!!! The PDF is way too large.

 

Correct answer Anubhav M

Hello everyone,

Please try the suggestions shared by our experts:

  • Uncheck the option “Preserve InDesign editing capabilities.”
  • Avoid embedding any images in your InDesign document.


Let us know if this resolves the issue.

Anubhav

58 replies

Participant
August 6, 2026

I had the same problem. And then I followed this advice: 

  • Uncheck the option “Preserve InDesign editing capabilities.”

While exporting, on General page and options!
and that helped. Thank you. I use the absolute latest version of InDesign.

Participant
August 6, 2026

I too am having the exact same problem. All the files I export are too big compared to the last Indesign version!

Participant
June 29, 2026

I’m having this same issue. I’m trying to export a resume file that should be very small. It’s a single page with no imagery and it's exporting at 74 kb. The same file exported with inddd 2025 exported at more than half the file size. Now I can’t apply to jobs because the file size is too big to upload! grrrr.

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 29, 2026

74 kb is quite small. What really is the problem?

Mike Witherell
Participating Frequently
January 28, 2026

Unchecking the box for editable file makes no difference. I have a brochure currently sitting at 724mb with no embedded images. Unchecked the box and it's still over 700mb. What is going on adobe !

leo.r
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 29, 2026

And what’s the PDF size of this brochure when exported from InDesign 2025?

Participant
November 18, 2025

Hello everyone,


I believe the problem is the last page of the PDF. If you edit the PDF and delete the last page, the file size will be greatly reduced.

 

I have an InDesign file with several images. The last artboard is identical to the first (design, text, etc.) and the size difference between them is enormous.

Anubhav M
Community Manager
Anubhav MCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
November 14, 2025

Hello everyone,

Please try the suggestions shared by our experts:

  • Uncheck the option “Preserve InDesign editing capabilities.”
  • Avoid embedding any images in your InDesign document.


Let us know if this resolves the issue.

Anubhav

ssam333
Participant
May 7, 2026

Hi, in the latest version of indesign, I dony find that option, everything gets saved massive, whats the solution?

 

leo.r
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 7, 2026

Can you please elaborate - do you mean that you don’t see this option in your PDF export dialog? 

 

 

Participant
November 11, 2025

Also having this issue with both my preset and the default "smallest file size". PDFs of the exact same file exported on 2025 were 5-7MB and are now 48-50MB ex[orting with 2026 Indesign.... not ideal going to have to remove 2026 and redownload 2025 if possible to meet deadlines.....

Participant
November 12, 2025

Hi, 

Quick fix that I discovered but not a solution is you have to unceck : "Perserve Indesign editing capabilities" then the files are the normal size.

BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 12, 2025

That is actually the solution. By maintaining InDesign edition capabilities, you are adding a tremendous amount of data to the file. 

Participating Frequently
November 10, 2025

You also can't copy and paste from 2025 to 2026 without it making it in to some sort of eps? WHY?

Participating Frequently
November 10, 2025

Sorry, that's either way (2025-2026 & 2026-2025)

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 10, 2025

Hi James,

Your comment appears to be a different matter relative to this post. May I suggest you start a new post and describe your challenge with more detail?

Mike Witherell
Participating Frequently
November 10, 2025

I’m experiencing the same issue and have reverted back to the 2025 version until it’s resolved. It’s impossible to run a professional business on software that isn’t consistent. This problem seems to be happening more frequently, likely because the Adobe suite is being updated almost daily. I miss the days when we had properly tested disc or download releases that were updated annually, rather than rushed updates pushed out for the smallest changes.

Participating Frequently
November 11, 2025

Looks like the problem could be embeded images in the document.

Any chance this will be fixed?

leo.r
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 9, 2025

Other users have also reported this issue, here's one of the threads:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/pdf-export-create-very-large-file-since-2026-upgrade/m-p/15584174#M641214

 

My own tests mentioned in that thread indicate that this indeed might be a valid concern.