Indesign File Size Absurdly Large

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
May 26, 2021
6 replies
12703 views

I am working on a catalog project (I do roughly 6 a year). I basically use the old catalog, and update the links and text in the document. My previous file was 28 pages, 127 links and 32.3 MB in size. I used this file, updated links to new images, no settings changed. The new file is 20 pages, 98 links, but 288.9 MB. I have ABSOLUTELY NO idea what has increased the file size so much. I have done every thing exactly the same as my previous catalogs.

Possibly related: When saving JPEGS in photoshop, randomly files will be 4+MB, when other comparable files are all under 500KB.

Performance

J

justing76488574

Participating Frequently

Did this ever get figured out?

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

If nothing helps, create a new file with the same size, 2 pages, no styles, no masters and move all pages with the command from the Layout menu from the old document to the new one. Rember layers turned on. And save the new file with a new name.

rob day

Community Expert

The file size could be from metadata coming with placed files. There have been a number of threads discussing the problem, this thread has a link to a script that will remove ancestor metadata in placed files.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/huge-pdf-file-after-exporting-from-project-with-psd-file/td-p/11916602

K

K26293980rxjj

Participating Frequently

Hi, I got this error. Pls help.

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Are you sure you haven't pasted any graphic content tatyher than placing?

> I basically use the old catalog, and update the links and text in the document.

This is not a good workflow, and I would say you've been lucky so far. Continuous "recycling" of files tends to lead to a build-up of minor corruptions until they reach the fatal error stage. Much better is to create a template for work of this type containing master pages and all needed styles, then create each new iteration from the template.

J E L

Community Expert

Strange. If the .indd file is 288.9 MB, what is the size of a PDF document when you use the standard “high quality print” PDF export preset without making any changes to the output settings? I’m curious if the size issue is only within the InDesign software or with your entire system. In other words, if the size of the individual pieces of content in your file aren’t this large, then I’m thinking the PDF would reflect that.

H

huey1480Author

Participating Frequently

The high quality PDF is 187.1 MB. I have no idea what is going on with the sizes! I've done this exact same thing for years with no issues, and now it's crazy big for what it is and comparable files.

J E L

Community Expert

Wow, okay, so it’s certainly the content in the file that is large. Maybe the new images you linked to are unusually large files or have dimensions far exceeding the layout size. Are there are 98 images total in the file? I’m assuming they are 300 dpi CMYK for print but maybe you are running them at 3x4 and they are sized at 18x24 or something crazy! What is the total size of all the image files by themselves?