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ArcRaj
Known Participant
April 1, 2010
Answered

How to reduce the InDesign file size?

  • April 1, 2010
  • 4 replies
  • 154308 views

I need to reduce the InDesign's file size without disturbing the output/properties like the option existing in Acrobat 'Reduce file size', pl. help.

Thanks,

ArcRaj

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Jongware

    I assume you're printing to Postscript then?

    That doesn't tell me the purpose of your file though. Are you sending to a postscript RIP, or sending the PS through Distiller to make PDFs?

    Are the PDFs for print or for onscreen?

    Can't really advise you on how to proceed without knowing the purpose of what you're doing.

    I feel it's all a bit quite vague.


    A simple "Save As" will clear all Undo information that might have been building up over time.

    If you *really positively* want to clean your file of anything suspicious, export to INX (or, using CS4, to IDML) and open that. Save a copy of your original file somewhere else first, as this is not a 100% error free guaranteed procedure.

    If your file size is still beyond a reasonable limit: do you have any pictures embedded, rather than placed as a link? (Just Don't Do It.)

    Do you have pictures with an extremely small (72 dpi) "Actual ppi" and a high (300 dpi) "Effective ppi"? That can make the preview images very large -- and these *are* included in your ID file.

    4 replies

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 20, 2020

    FWIW: To all:

    This thread is about reducing the file size of an InDesign document.

    It is not about reducing the file size of exported output like PDFs, JPGs, PNGs etc.pp.

     

    Summed up some strategies:

     

    [1] Unembed embedded placed graphics and images.

    [2] Kick out pasted images that do not show up in the Links panel.

    Substitute them with placed and linked graphic and images.

    [3] Do File > Save As

     

    Things that will help to reduce file size, but could be questionable:

    [1] Switch the document to "No Color Management".

    Can be done, should not be done. Therefore will not tell how it can be done.

    [2] Eliminate all preview images for placed and linked graphics and images.

    Can be done. At least temporarily when all the links are missing.

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

      R
      ricardomedici_creative
      Participant
      August 5, 2013

      try disable "Always save preview images with documents" . It's can be help!

      Peter Kahrel
      Community Expert
      Peter KahrelCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 1, 2010

      If you can get away with it, assign the RGB and CMYK profiles to the current profile, which means removing the profiles from the document (Edit > Assign Profile > Discard (twice). This takes off half a meg from your document.

      Peter

        E
        Community Expert
        Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 1, 2010

        Are you trying to reduce the actual InDesign file size, or the Acrobat PDF, because they're too different things. You produce a PDF from InDesign, the resulting PDF is that size because of:

        Quality of images used

        Amount of images used

        Compression of images

        Types of images used (Raster or Vector/Complex Vectors)

        Size of images

        Fonts embeded/number of typefaces used (Subset or Entire glyph sets)

        RGB output or CMYK output

        etc.

        There are many mitigating factors to the final size of a PDF, perhaps if you could clarify if you want to make the InDesign File Size smaller or end up with a Smaller PDF file size.

        If it's the latter, what is the purpose of the PDF, is it for printing lithographically, digitally; or for screen viewing only?

        A
        ArcRajAuthor
        Known Participant
        April 1, 2010

        Hi Tyson, Thanks for the detailed feedback, actually I want to reduce the size of InDesign file to speed up the sevaral other processes including the PS generation.

          E
          Community Expert
          Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          April 1, 2010

          I assume you're printing to Postscript then?

          That doesn't tell me the purpose of your file though. Are you sending to a postscript RIP, or sending the PS through Distiller to make PDFs?

          Are the PDFs for print or for onscreen?

          Can't really advise you on how to proceed without knowing the purpose of what you're doing.

          I feel it's all a bit quite vague.

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