Is ai File Size Independent of Image Size?

[josephc66141161]

I am new to Illustrator and am experiencing a problem resizing an image.  I needed to convert a Photoshop .psd raster image to a vector image and then size to a 2.25” width.

The psd file was 9.88 MB,  3913 x 4321, 13.0” x 14.4” @ 300 ppi.  The raster file was opened in Illustrator and image traced into a vector, creating an ai file 2.79 MB, image 13.0” x 14.4”.

The image needed to be reduced to 2.25” wide.  So in the next step with rulers displayed the window was proportionally reduced to a 2.25” image width.  Saving this change resulted in an ai file with an image 2.375” x 2.5”, but now a whopping 33.0 MB.   Why did the file size increase almost twelvefold?  I thought in Illustrator file size was independent from image size.

[Ton Frederiks]

Are there any images left in the Links panel?

Scaling a vector should not increase the file size.

Is there a large difference when you save a copy with the Create PDF Compatible File option off?

[Monika Gause]

To further detail Ton's question about the content of the Links panel: did you expand after using Image Trace?

[josephc66141161]

Thanks for the response. Does expand have to be done at the same time as image trace? Do I have to start over, open the psd file and trace/expand at the same time?  Or can I just expand the ai file that has already been traced?

[Doug A Roberts]

If it's not expanded, then the linked image will still be in the file.

[Monika Gause]

You just need to open the AI file, select the traced image and click on the Expand button in the control panel or the Properties panel or in the menu Object > Image Trace > Expand

[Bobby Henderson]

What kind of elements are in the Photoshop image you need to convert to vector format? Live Trace can work for certain things, such as stylizing a photograph. It's not so great at converting more graphical-looking elements, such as logos and lettering. 2.25" is a small print size; flaws in Live-Traced elements won't be so visible. But if the converted vector artwork is something that may be re-used and blown up to big sizes it will need to be manually "re-built" in vector format in order to look clean.

File size isn't supposed to change very much at all with vector-based artwork. But that also depends on what kinds of embellishments are included in the vector objects. The document's raster effects setting level can play a big part of that. Artwork for normal print page sizes can have default 300ppi settings. Large format designs (signs, billboards, vehicle wraps, etc) need lower settings if the artwork is designed at full size or some large multiple of it (50%, 25%, etc). If the artwork is designed at scale, such as 1" = 1', then the default setting will be fine.