File size bigger after removing text

[DellCentre039134]

Currently I have a +1300 page ebook PDF file, size 21 MB with an hyperlink on each page. I have deleted all the hyperlinks and saved the file and noticed that the file size got bigger to 38MB. I didn't edit anything else (e.g. adding images, removing other stuff etc.), I just removed the hyperlink, which was a link to some website.

How is it possible that after deleting the hyperlinks the file size got bigger? And is there a way to keep the file size at 21 MB?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Yes, any modification to a PDF document will increase it's size - that is as long as you are using the normal "File>Save" operation. The reason for this is that Acrobat leaves your original file untouched, and just adds the modified/deleted/added content after the end of the original file. This is called an incremental update, and it speeds up saving a large file in which you made some modifications.

To save a PDF document from scratch and incorporate all incremental updates, you would use a File>Save As operation. This will always regenerate the PDF document from scratch - and that takes a lot longer.

So, try to safe the document under a new name using File>Save As, and see if that reduces your file size.

[DellCentre039134]

I have tried the File - Save As option, but the file size still increases (at the same rate I think). So for me it didn't work out.

If it helps, I have attached a screenshot of the file size before and after (using File-Save option). Main changes (+17MB) are highlighted.

And to be more specific, this is what I edited

On every page, there is a heading 'www.WEBSITE.com'. I searched each one up and replaced with nothing (hence removed it).

[Pulus1]

Bump.

I have a pdf of 1.3MB, which after some deletions increased to 13.4MB, then started to behave badly, i.e. deleting whole pages and crashing.

[Test Screen Name]

How exactly did you save the file? What app and exact version (not "latest") do you use?