Indesign exported PDF is HUGE

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
April 12, 2024
1 reply
1536 views

I had a 50MB indesign file (idk why it was this big). I managed to reduce the file size to 14MB by replacing the psd links with TIFF files. However, the exported pdf (for print) is still 30MB. I can't imagine the reason behind it. I use the same export settings as always, I use no embedded links, but still, the pdf is twice the size of the indd file.

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BobLevine

Community Expert

The information provided is pretty much irrelevant. The size of an INDD file has no direct correlation on the size of the PDF.

So, please take a step back and give us some important info:

Version of ID and operating system
PDF Export settings
What the purpose of the PDF is (screen, press, etc)

BTW, the easiest way to make an INDD file smaller is to use the save as command once in a while and save the file over itself. This removes all kinds of extraneous data.

N

NelladelAuthor

Inspiring

Hello!
InDesign version is 19.3.
The purpose is press. It's an A4 one page long file. I used the save as method, didn't help much, but now the key issue is the pdf size.

BobLevine

Community Expert

Those links were psd files with several layers, smart objects, adjustment layers etc...
I tried rasterizing them because some of the links were 100-400 mb. This way, I managed to reduce the links to an acceptable level, but it had little to no effect on either the indd file size, or the pdf file size.

No, they wouldn't. The InDesign file is using previews which don't change all that much no matter what you do and the PDF is using a flattened version that has been downsampled.

In short, if this is for press work, you're really worried about nothing.

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