What can you do to reduce the file size of a tile package for a lightweight application showing interstate highways?

To reduce the file size of a tile package for a lightweight application showing interstate highways, adjusting the scale range to show less detail is effective. When you set a smaller scale range, the map features are simplified, which may decrease the number of tiles generated for various zoom levels. Fewer tiles lead to less data being stored in the tile package, effectively reducing the overall file size.

In scenarios where the application only needs to represent interstate highways, focusing on broader scales might allow for the omission of smaller features and detailed data that wouldn't typically be necessary, thereby optimizing the package for performance, particularly in lightweight applications where efficiency is crucial.

Other methods, such as reducing the number of colors in the symbology, may not have a significant impact on file size compared to the amount of data represented by the tiles. Similarly, while reducing the number of datasets included in the source .mxd could potentially limit file size, it might also remove important context or data that should be displayed. The idea that nothing can be done to reduce the file size is not accurate, especially since adjustments to scale range can effectively manage the complexity and amount of data being packaged.