Placing, linking, embedding and file size 1

[nicksims]

I just started a similar thread but felt this was different enough to warrant its own.

Something just isn't clicking in my understanding of linking vs. embedding.

Example for comparison: I have a 9.3mb .psd file that I place in a new Illy file. The artboard is 8.5x11. I make no adjustments whatsoever to the linked file and there is nothing else in this file.

One version is linked (all I did was check the box "Link" when I was placing this file) and the other I left the Link box unchecked so as to embed the file. This would be the only difference between the 2 files for this test.

The size of the linked file is 10.1mb and the embedded file is 23.1mb (a new, empty file in which nothing has been done? .5mb).

I would have expected the linked file to be far smaller and the embedded file to be around 10mb.

Shouldn't the linked file still be a very small file- or at least far closer to the .5mb empty file size?

Am I missing a setting somewhere? Or should I expect this kind of file size even when linking? It seems that what I'm reading about linking is that it saves on file size by not embedding the image (and I like the ability to edit my original and then have it updated as worked on).

Using cs2 and winxp.

Thank you very much.
Nick

 

[jconingham]

Uncheck the option "make pdf compatible" when first saving the file and the size should decrease considerably.

 

[nicksims]

I should have known!

Just for the record, the files are now about 1.3 linked and about 10.5 for the embedded file.

Thank you very much.

Nick