Linking Questions cs5: Linking within the Same file, Sharing links, file size bloat

Question

I have to make print cards for my job. Print cards being a 1 page version of the Larger package layout that the place I work manufactures. On this print card is a section for customer info on top, and the print representation on the bottom. What I've been doing is using two files. The first file is the full-scale art on one artboard, and the customer info on the second artboard, but both within one file.
  On the second file, I combine the two. I still use two artboard because it's a front and back print-off. The front page (1st art board, 2nd file), is the customer info at the top (linked from the 2 art board, 1st file) and the full art shrunk to fit below (also linked).  the back page (2nd art board, 2nd file) is the individual elements of the artwork, zoomed in for easier viewing. For the second page, I use masked links from the fullsize art, sized appropriately. The reason it's important that they all use links, is so if I update the art, it will update the print cards as well.
  I've been trying to stream-line this process. This works ok, but the numerous links bloat the file size, and I have to email these to customers. I've started using "Flatten Transparency" on all my Print cards (2nd file) and saving it as a separate .pdf. This cuts out the links, but then all of my masked images are hiding the whole original file behind their mask. So then I started manually cropping each individual masked area, which helps, but once I've gone through this whole process, I don't think I've saved any of the time my template was supposed to save.
file://localhost/Users/troubleinthemaking/Desktop/PRINT%20MINI%20EXAMPLE.pdf
  My questions are these:
Is there any way to link to elements within the same file? Like from a different artboard?
  I've successfully 'Placed' an artboard from the same file, back into that file (but a different artboard), but this creates a never-ending Save/Update loop. I'd like a better way to do this.
Is there a way to have all instances of a linked file, draw from the same place? i.e. When you update a single link, all instances of that Link would update. plus this would, in theory, cut down on the file size.
Is there any way to automatically have every masked link crop itself after using the flatten transparency command?
  Even if I had to select them first. I haven't had any luck selecting them all and then using the pathfinder crop tool. I've had to do each one individually.
I know this last one can't really be answered without seeing everything on my machine. I don't even know what info I'd need to give...
WHY MY FILE SIZE SO BIG!
Thanks ahead of time.
-Jefferson

Answer 1

Jefferson:
There's a few things you can do to make your files smaller, such as using the Action "Delete All Unused Panel Items" which will removed all unused Symbols, Graphic Styles, Brushes and Swatches from your Illustrator files. Those little items add up to bloating a file.
You also need to examine the images that you place into your Illustrator file. Any unnecessary layers or channels? Can the files be flattened before being placed in Illustrator? You can always keep a "working" Photoshop file of all that extra goobledeegook and then flatten the file and do a "Save As" and place that in the Illustrator file. And that could be a Photoshop EPS saved with a TIFF Preview and JPEG Encoding (Maximum Quality), which will save some MBs.
But, you should never sacrifice file size for quality. If these files are going to print, you should be using an FTP program to transfer the files and not email them. Email should not be used for files over 5 MB. If all you want to do is send the customer a Low Resolution PDF Proof for approval via Email, that's fine and dandy, but send the final large size files to the Printer via FTP.