File size balloned from 2.5MB to 500MB

[influxxmedia]

Hi community experts

**PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE COMMENTING**

I just noticed some irregularities between document files sizes in a project I'm working on. For the longest while in this long term project of dozens and dozens of AI files, the average file size has been about 2.5MB. In some of the newer documents the file is over 500MB

• Nothing is different in the 'design' of the pages*
• No raster images are used anywhere in the entire project.
• Project is mostly text, with between 1 or 2 vector diagram on each page
• Diagrams are very basic in nature; no complex blends or geometry

*The only difference I can think of where I changed my procedure is the use of Library items. There are many many repeating elements that are used several times on every page. Just small elements consisting of a vector shape with a letter or number on a text layer. I decided to make use of libraries and I imagined this would streamline the design of the pages. I did not imagine it would bloat out the file size.

Would library items have this impact on a document? If not any ideas what wlse might be the culprit.

MacOS 10.14

CC 2019

[Jacob Bugge]

influxxmedia,

I doubt whether that may be the case, but creating a PDF compatible file is a decisive change and notorious file size bloater.

Maybe no help, but what happens if you turn each repeating element into a (static) symbol; I am aware that this may be what you have been doing; an improvement could be a clear sign of a very undesirable impact.

[influxxmedia]

Hi Jacob

Thanks for taking the time and making those suggestions. Good ideas to check. I wondered if the PDF Compatible and Compressed File check boxes could make any difference, but I'm almost certain I've always had those turned on so it would not be a differentiator in this case.

However your suggestion of using a symbol makes perfect sense. For some reason I assumed that library items would work in the same way, that they are instances of of a master and therefore keep the file load down. But thinking about it now after your comment, it makes sense that a symbol would be the use case for that. The libraries are just share elements with myself between apps and between workstations. different use case entirely.

Thanks much for pointing that out.

I'll make those changes and report make my results

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, influxxmedia, and I for one look forward to your findings.

[influxxmedia]

Well after some testing with the settings it seems using Compression at file save makes all the difference. Turning PDF compatibility off only saved about 5MB on a 500MB file. Using Symbols made no difference whatsoever unfortunately. But saving a new AI with Compression on reduced file size from 500MB to 5MB with no affect of read write times.

Amazing.

Hope this helps someone