Adobe Illustrator - Why does exporting make a huge file...?

Author

Why does exporting make a huge file...?

Dave B

2005-10-06, 10:14 pm

I exported an ai. file to create a version compatible with Illustrator 8
(I'm using CS). The original file was 5 mb, and the resulting exported file
was 34 mb...!

What's up with that...?

Thanks...

DB

Constance Pierce

2005-10-07, 6:15 pm

In article <wJk1f.7910$oc.1340@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
"Dave B" <davegnbNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I exported an ai. file to create a version compatible with Illustrator 8
> (I'm using CS). The original file was 5 mb, and the resulting exported file
> was 34 mb...!
>
> What's up with that...?
>
> Thanks...
>
> DB

I save files to Illus legacy 3 (you don't export in CS, you save as) all
the time for a particular client, and I've always gotten file sizes of
no more than 1 MB. Do you have images in it? Did you convert the type to
curves?

What's your document raster settings? That could have something to do
with it, maybe?

Now, EPS files are, from what I've found, alot larger than the
equivalent AI files . . . but that's mainly because writing to EPS
saves all sorts of extraneous info to the file since it's Postscript. Is
it poss (please forgive me for asking) that you actually saved it as an
EPS file and the extension stayed AI? THAT would totally explain the
bloated file.

If you can give me some details on the content, and the method you used
for export/save as, I can help! ( : Been doing Illustrator since V3 and
haven't looked back since.

Good luck!!
Connie

--
Constance Pierce
principal/designer
pierceDESIGN
www.pierceillus.com

Dave B

2005-10-09, 10:14 pm

Hi Connie,
Thanks for the response. I went away for the weekend - and when I got
back, I tried the same exact process I did on Friday, and got much much
smaller files (>1mb.) I even did and export to EPS, and got a file less than
2mb (I did that Friday and it grew to 43 mb!).

It was an all vector file, so I really can't imagine what happened.
It's all a mystery - but it worked out fine... :)

One question though - you say below that "you don't export in CS, you
save as". I don't see a "save as" choice that allows me to save down to an
earlier version. Am I missing something?

Thanks for your willingness to help out - it's appreciated...!

Dave

"Constance Pierce" <info@pierceillus.com> wrote in message
news:info-DA70C9.13393407102005@ispnews.usenetserver.com...
> In article <wJk1f.7910$oc.1340@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
> "Dave B" <davegnbNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> I save files to Illus legacy 3 (you don't export in CS, you save as) all
> the time for a particular client, and I've always gotten file sizes of
> no more than 1 MB. Do you have images in it? Did you convert the type to
> curves?
>
> What's your document raster settings? That could have something to do
> with it, maybe?
>
> Now, EPS files are, from what I've found, alot larger than the
> equivalent AI files . . . but that's mainly because writing to EPS
> saves all sorts of extraneous info to the file since it's Postscript. Is
> it poss (please forgive me for asking) that you actually saved it as an
> EPS file and the extension stayed AI? THAT would totally explain the
> bloated file.
>
> If you can give me some details on the content, and the method you used
> for export/save as, I can help! ( : Been doing Illustrator since V3 and
> haven't looked back since.
>
> Good luck!!
> Connie
>
> --
> Constance Pierce
> principal/designer
> pierceDESIGN
> www.pierceillus.com

Constance Pierce

2005-10-15, 3:14 am

In article <E5i2f.858$y14.134@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
"Dave B" <davegnbNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote:

> One question though - you say below that "you don't export in CS, you
> save as". I don't see a "save as" choice that allows me to save down to an
> earlier version. Am I missing something?

I may be confusing CS2 w/CS, but in CS2, you select "Save As" in the
menu, you can choose Abode Illus format and then go on to refine your
choice of Legacy AI file ~ i.e., Legacy 3, Legacy 6, etc in the next
dialog box.

In CS2, when I export a file, my choices range from "CADD Drawing" to
"JPEG" . . . no options for "AI" formats.

In fact, with "Save As" in CS2, you have the choices of AI (all Legacy
formats), EPS, PDF, and AIT (Adobe Illus Template). But, honestly, I
could be confused as to the differences between CS and CS2, although in
terms of file saving, I didn't think there was *that* much of a
difference.

To be perfectly honest, once I upgraded to CS2 Suite, I uninstalled all
the components to the CS Suite (except for Photoshop CS ~ if you decide
to upgrade to CS2 in the near future, I would suggest you keep Photoshop
CS ~ it's just a more stable app, esp if running Tiger. Too, Genuine
Fractals works best with PS CS and does poorly with PS CS2).

Please forgive me if I came off as a total XXX ~ wasn't meaning to!!
Nowadays, I get so confused so easily! (-:

--
Constance Pierce
principal/designer
pierceDESIGN
www.pierceillus.com