Illustrator file size gets too big!

[Double Diamond]

I am having troubles with the file size when I place too many photos. I know I need to learn photoshop, but I am very familiar with Illustrator. I have tried place and then use the include linked. I have tried rasterize. I have tried flatten transperancy. Sometimes the file size does get slightly smaller. The flatten transperancy has some negative results(lines) and rasterize only works when I lower the resolution.
To be a bit more specific... I am woking on a menu layout and the ten 1meg photos make the illustrator file over 100meg and it becomes slower to save and open and edit.
If anyone has come accross this or has an easy fix in illustrator, please reply.
BTY: I am using some tutorials to learn photoshop, but still prefer Illustrator vector base design. I have been using ai since it was version 1.1 around 1996, but am new to full color layout and design.
Many thanks, Joe

 

[J Hill Designs]

better computer/more RAM?

 

[tanneji]

That is just how illy is ... The only way I have been able to reduce the size of illustrator files is to not save a Tiff preview or a document thumbnail. Other than that, importing photos into illustrator is a bad process and bloats files like crazy.

 

[SebastienL]

What is the resolution of the picture?

You can lower their resolution through object/rasterize menu.

Although 100 meg is not that big a file...

 

[Double Diamond]

I was being conservative at 100 megs, I am currently working on it with five photos and it's 118 megs. I am used to them getting to be around 250 megs. My computer is newer and I specifically had this one built to speed things up and found the slow saves are an illy issue, not a computer issue. I can open a program like cs3 in about 7 seconds, and save a 400 meg file on the desktop in like 15 seconds... ya it's fast.
I have the best luck when I use rasterize, but don't like lowering the res.
I thank you all for your expertise on this. I was affraid it was an illustrator issue and I know I need to use photoshop or Indesign, but I am just an avid ai user.

 

[Bill Modzel]

Even with little experience in Photoshop, you should be able to resize the photos to a more manageable size and THAN place them in your Illy file.
If you save them as a high quality jpeg from PS they should be even smaller.

If you "re-size" the photos in Illy, they technically are not smaller in a file sense. They contain the same number of pixels that are just crushed together.

 

[rfulford]

Try this. Place your images but do not check the box to include linked files. When you save the file, uncheck "PDF compatible file" and "include linked files". This file will probably be less than a meg but is not print ready unless you use Postscript. It will however be nice and small and allow you to save your work without watching your computer churn. When you are finalized, save a print ready file with the images embedded or export a tiff.

 

[Double Diamond]

That is exactly what I'll do. That's exactly what I need too. Perfect! Thank you so so much, you've saved me tons of time. I see just how that will work too and it's easy... your awsome. Joe:U Rock:

 

[jfiscus]

You need to get InDesign & learn it; Illustrator is NOT made for this kind of work. This is why Adobe sells the "creative suite" of programs; each have their own specific niche in the design field. A menu you would edit the photos in photoshop, edit the logo/vectors in Illustrator, and set all the text and place the graphics/photos in InDesign, then Export a PDF (also Adobe) as a final product for printing.

Luckily, Adobe programs share a lot of tools/pallettes/shortcuts, so learning new applications is not that bad. Learning Corel, etc by another manufacturer is way harder than additional Adobe programs.

 

[Rooster]

You need to get InDesign & learn it

X2, this is just the place to use it.