Full Backup Size = Partition Size?
 

I have an install of OS X on a 200 gig partition. The actual data is around 12 gigs. If I make a backup, will it be 200 gigs or just the size of the data?

Thanks.

Well, "it"? The data on the backup will be 12GB. What's the "backup", though?

Well here's what I tried to do. I made a bootable backup using the Backup - all files option. I was monitoring the filesize of the image Superduper was making, at it was getting close to 30 gigs, yet the data on my drive was around 12 gigs in total. It kept going and I assumed it was attempting to clone the entire partiton of 200 gigs.

It sounds like you were running a program while backing up that was constantly updating a file, you're using FileVault, downloading something while backing up, etc...