File Size Mystery

[Greenbeetle]

Here's something that's bothering me.

How can files with the exact same content be different sizes? I have a single small flat shape in a file that weighs in at an extraordinary 12 Mbs. It has only one layer, nothing locked, nothing else visible. If I select the entire contents, and transfer them to a new file, It amounts to 1.5 Mbs.

Now the original file had a load of extra content that's been deleted. Is it possible for residual information to remain hidden in the file? If so, how can it be located?

[jctremblay]

This is strange..
I never seen that. Does both file where save with the exact same setting? Are they native .ai or .eps or else.

[Greenbeetle]

Hi,

Yes they're both identical apart from the size. They're eps files. I've done a test, where I've emptied the "big" file of content, and it's still registering 12Mbs.

[flappy]

Hello.
And if you make a save-as?

[Greenbeetle]

Hi,

"Save as" produces a file of exactly the same size.

The designer I'm supplying keeps asking "Why is the file so huge? It shouldn't be anything like this! What special effects have you been using??"

I'm at a complete loss to explain it.

[kazbear]

As you work, if you use Swatches, gradients, patterns, Graphiccs styles, etc, these get added to those palettes. Even if you do not use them in the art.

Its very common to try many different graphics effects before you find the one you want. This all gets added to the palette and saved with the document. You would need to remove the extra stuff to reduce files size. In soime case you may want to remove everything, but I would suggest just removing all unused items...

kaz

[Greenbeetle]

Aah! That makes sense.

Thanks Kazbear. I'll go and get the mop and bucket, and try giving it a good clean.

[Greenbeetle]

Symbols! It was the Symbols wot dun it.

So, how would you clear out stuff like unused gradients, if they were unused? I didn't realise you could even save a gradient anywhere.

[kazbear]

Gradients can be added as a swatch. The Swatches Palette contains Colors, Gradients and Patterns. You can click on the icons at the bottom of the swatches palette to isolate those types.

If you opened a set of preset gradients (Illustrator includes a lot!) and start to look through them, they will get added to your main swatches palette. Otherwise you would need to manually ad the ones you create.

In each of the Palettes: Swatches, Brushes, Symbols, Graphics Styles, there is an option on the palettes pull down menu for Select All Unused. Do that then click on the trash can...

Seems like there should be a global select all unsued option, but I don't know if that exists, but you could create an action that will do it...

[davecross]

In the Actions palette there is an action called "Delete Unused Palette Items" that will go through and delete and the "stuff" you aren't using in the document.

[Mike Hoffman]

In the Actions palette there is an action called "Delete Unused Palette Items" that will go through and delete and the "stuff" you aren't using in the document.

Now *that* is a useful tip! Thanks, Dave!!

[Phats57]

Whoa, that's pretty cool. I wonder if this is an odd question or not, but would this also help if you are working on a file and everything seems to be slowing down? If not, what basic things can help with this? Thanks~ :cool:

[Neon Deon]

Here are things that cause slowing down in my experience:

Linking across a busy network (placed files, perhaps used for comparison, that sit in turned-off layers). Best to keep all files locally in organized folder structure, and re-link intentionally (or using a script), only when required.

You've accidentally introduced a circular link (files linking one another)

Large, redundant Live Paint layers (worth the time spent removing redundancies)

Many layers at the top level, rather than organizing with no more than, say, 7 top-level layers

Too many applications open, or not enough resources allocated to Illustrator

You're working with Bridge open to the directory where you're saving your files. Every time you save, Bridge has to cache. If you're working in a team, this can become a slow-down with everyone saving to the same directory. Better to close Bridge and only peek in now and then.

Bridge has been browsing many directories and your cache is getting full, slowing down Bridge, and hogging system resources needed by Illustrator. You can purge the Bridge cache (not sure if it's a menu item in CS3 -- I'm in the habit of browsing the directory under Documents and Settings, and deleting bridge cache files)

You have been at it for hours, and many undo's are in the history (you can purge your history)

You've been at it for hours, and Illustrator is getting cranky -- time to restart.

If you have complex painting with several different pattern swatches, and saving slows to a stand-still, you may want to put a raster of the image on top, for your records, then replace the swatches with place-holders, swapping in something innocuous, like a gray color swatch. The original patterns can stay in the palette, but would be inactive. (don't use this moment to purge your file of unused swatches!)

This will allow you a faster save and open, as Illustrator does not have to interpret all the pattern-painted bits.

You can swap your swatches back into the image when you've saved, closed, quit Illustrator, and started up again.

Lots of ways to get slowed down! Hope this helps a little.
d

[curve]

Although it doesn't sound like it is what is causing the difference in file size, don't forget that if you save a file in Illustrator with the "Create PDF Compatible File" option checked, all placed images are saved (embedded) with the file, even if they are supposed to be linked images.

This, of course, can cause a huge increase in file size. The links palette will still list the images as linked, not embedded, but they ARE embedded.

Even if this isn't what has happened here, something to remember.

[CareyOGAAL]

I am so happy I found this thread! Thank you for the tips.
Although, after applying the action set and cleaning up any possible file hog, I am still unable to solve this issue.
Here is an example of a recent project. Designed a poster 1.5MB copied the elements to a 1/4 of the size to create flyers and the file size increased? I am so confused :-/ Can anyone figure this out?


http://ogaal.com/filesizemystery.jpg

[McJohn]

You forgot to setup "bleed" in your document! :)
If not,..the guys in the prepress will virtually kill you!

Nice work by the way!

[CareyOGAAL]

Haaha, thank you John. I did include the bleed in the final printer file.
My main major concern still is this file size enigma...it is making me crazy!

[CareyOGAAL]

The crowd silloette at the bottom of the flyer was 2 shapes (the poster was one). Once I combined the two shapes as one, using pathfinder the file size went back to normal.
I was sure there was a logical answer. ;-)

[cathaloduibh]

Although it doesn't sound like it is what is causing the difference in file size, don't forget that if you save a file in Illustrator with the "Create PDF Compatible File" option checked, all placed images are saved (embedded) with the file, even if they are supposed to be linked images.

This, of course, can cause a huge increase in file size. The links palette will still list the images as linked, not embedded, but they ARE embedded.

Even if this isn't what has happened here, something to remember.

Thanks to Curve for the useful tip above. I had a 195MB file (with a lot of linked images) and following the above instructions reduced the file to 1.5MB :)

[kxy]

In the Actions palette there is an action called "Delete Unused Palette Items" that will go through and delete and the "stuff" you aren't using in the document.


great advise many thanks:)

[yy17616433]

Thank you very much for your help!