Illustrator file size reduction

Illustrator 11.0
Win XP Pro SP2
Adobe Acrobat 6.0
Why are ai files so much larger than the pdf's they generate. For example I cut and pasted an excel spreadsheet into Illustrator. No bitmaps or rasterized data.
ai file is 2.5Mb (acrobat compatible, compression on)
ai file is 7 Mb (compression off) yikes!
saved as pdf 2.2Mb
printed to adobe acrobat 6.0 24kb (maintains vector output with great zoom)
these are all vector files and there is a 100 to 1 size ratio between them.
If I take the small pdf and use the edit file command in acrobat and then re save the illustrator to ai file it is still over 2Mb.
I have a long framemaker document that will have 60 some line drawings and text and I need the ai files to be smaller due to memory considerations.
What can I do to shrink these ai files.? I don't want any bitmaps or rasterized illustrations in my end product pdf file.

Interesting results here. All tests conducted with AI 12 (don't have AI 11). All .ai files were saved with compression and no profile embedded. All PDFs were created via 'save as' or Distiller (print to PDF) using Acrobat 7 compatibility and Text and Line Art preset.
Downloaded [Test1 copy from xcell.ai], opened it in AI 12, stripped unused swatches, styles, brushes, etc. then saved as .ai with no PDF compatibility. Resulting file: 456 KB
Same as above but saved
with PDF compatibility. Resulting .ai file: 417 KB (!)
Same as above but saved as v11 .ai with, then without, PDF compatibility. Resulting .ai files: 1,011 KB
regardless of PDF compatibility (!)
As above but saved as v10 .ai without PDF compatibility. Resulting file: 412 KB
Again v10 but with PDF compatibility: 374 KB (!)
Saved as PDF with .ai editing preserved: 999 KB
Saved as PDF without .ai editing preserved: 133 KB
Distilled PDF (printed to Adobe PDF): 56 KB
Downloaded Excel file and printed to PDF from Excel. PDF file: 53 KB
That PDF file then opened in AI 12 and saved as v12 .ai with no PDF compatibility: 282 KB

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feddersfollies wrote:
This setup has been working for years…
Does that mean that you don't even plan to update Photoshop CS to CS6 13.0,6? That would be a grave mistake. There were many substantial bug fixes along the way.
Updating to CS 13.0.6 is completely, totally free. No expense at all.
If your issue appeared "suddenly", delete and recreate your Photoshop and your Illustrator's preferences.
But update to 13.0.6 ASAP. There's absolutely no excuse and no valid reason for staying with known buggy versions. That's just plain nonsense.
If you insist on staying with your "setup" for the reason you state, please don't bother addressing any replies to me.

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I've been told that the file reduction is because preview images are no longer being generated.
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NOTE:
I need to make sure my files have maximum compatibility for opening them in Lightroom and other programs that open PSDs like Painter - so compatibility settings are important.
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Similar, yes... but that still doesn't answer my question
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only a background layer
RGB 8bits/channel 72dpi
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compressed (layered) TIFF = 3.99mb
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So, my question:
If hiding a layer is reducing the file size by supposedely rendering less pixel data to the preview images, then
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Mac OS X
Preferences
/Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.Lightroom5.plist.OLD
Windows 7 & 8
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Bill-
Thanks so much.
I’ll take a look at upgrading to Acrobat and see if that will do the trick.
I appreciate the response.
Thanks again.
Ed Perne
Corporate Director, Human Resources & Risk Management
11500 W. Olympic Boulevard, Suite 345
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(p) 310-235-2745, ext. 408
(f) 310-943-1600

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Mac running OSX
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[email protected]

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degradation
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Hi All,
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Solved!
Go to Solution.
Attachments:
Reduce File Size.vi ‏12 KB

Christian_M wrote:
Attachement is compiled for 8.5.1
I don't think the calculation for N is still correct. We probably need a while loop to see when we run out of elements (or do some more fancy math).
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Message Edited by altenbach on 10-16-2008 10:04 AM
LabVIEW Champion . Do more with less code and in less time .

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