PDF/A Explained: The Complete Guide to Archival PDFs

Pop quiz: Will the PDFs you created today still be readable in 50 years?

If you're like most people, you probably haven't thought about it. PDFs just work, right? Open them, read them, done.

But here's the thing: regular PDFs aren't designed for long-term preservation. They can have dependencies on external fonts, embedded code, links to external content, or features that might not be supported by future software. In 2075, when your great-grandkids try to open your thesis or business records, they might just get a garbled mess.

Enter PDF/A: the "archive-ready" version of PDF specifically designed to last decades (or centuries) without degrading. It's like the difference between storing food in a regular container (might go bad) versus vacuum-sealed, freeze-dried packaging (lasts forever).

If you work in government, legal, healthcare, finance, or any field that requires long-term document retention, PDF/A isn't just useful—it's often required.

Let's dive into what PDF/A actually is, why it matters, and how to use it without getting lost in technical jargon.

What Is PDF/A?

PDF/A is a specialized version of the PDF format standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The "A" stands for "Archive."

In plain English: PDF/A is PDF stripped of anything that might not work in the future.

Regular PDFs can include:

Links to external content (websites, other files)
Embedded JavaScript or executable code
External fonts (that might not exist in 50 years)
Encryption (that future software might not support)
Audio and video (that require specific codecs)
Transparent objects and layers
Device-dependent color spaces

PDF/A says "nope" to all of that. Everything needed to display the document—fonts, images, color profiles—is embedded within the file itself. The result is a self-contained, future-proof document.

Why Was PDF/A Created?

In the early 2000s, organizations realized they had a problem: digital documents created in the 1980s and 90s were becoming unreadable as software evolved and old formats became obsolete.

Word processing formats changed. Fonts disappeared. Operating systems evolved. PDFs themselves were getting more complex, with features that might not be supported long-term.

Governments, libraries, and corporations needed a solution: a standardized, feature-restricted PDF format guaranteed to be readable for decades. Thus, PDF/A was born, with the first version (PDF/A-1) standardized as ISO 19005-1 in 2005.

The PDF/A Family: Versions and Conformance Levels

PDF/A isn't just one thing—it's a family of standards. Here's the breakdown:

PDF/A Versions

PDF/A-1 (ISO 19005-1:2005)

Based on PDF 1.4
Most restrictive, maximum compatibility
Two conformance levels: A (accessible) and B (basic)
Use when: Maximum compatibility is critical

PDF/A-2 (ISO 19005-2:2011)

Based on PDF 1.7
Allows JPEG 2000 compression (smaller files)
Supports transparency and layers
Allows embedded PDF/A files
Use when: You need modern features but still want archival compliance

PDF/A-3 (ISO 19005-3:2012)

Based on PDF 1.7
Allows embedding non-PDF/A files (Excel, Word, etc.)
Great for attaching source documents
Use when: You need to preserve original file formats alongside the PDF

PDF/A-4 (ISO 19005-4:2020)

Based on PDF 2.0
Modern features like digital signatures, better encryption
Use when: You need cutting-edge features and long-term preservation

Conformance Levels

Each version has conformance levels indicating how strict the standard is applied:

Level B (Basic): Visual appearance is preserved. Minimum requirement.

Level U (Unicode): Level B + all text has Unicode mapping (searchable, accessible).

Level A (Accessible): Level U + full structural tagging (essential for screen readers and assistive technology).

Most common choice: PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b (good balance of features and compatibility).

What Makes a PDF Compliant with PDF/A?

To be PDF/A-compliant, a document must follow strict rules:

1. All Fonts Must Be Embedded

Regular PDFs can reference fonts installed on your computer. PDF/A requires every font to be embedded in the file.

Why: In 50 years, that specific font might not exist. Embedding ensures the document looks exactly as intended.

2. No External Dependencies

PDF/A can't link to external websites, files, or resources. Everything must be self-contained.

Why: External links break over time. Websites disappear. Files get moved.

3. No Encryption

PDF/A doesn't allow encryption or password protection.

Why: Encryption algorithms become obsolete. A document locked with 2025 encryption might be unopenable in 2075.

Workaround: You can password-protect a PDF/A file using standard PDF protection, but technically it's no longer PDF/A-compliant while encrypted. Decrypt before archiving long-term.

4. No JavaScript or Executable Content

Interactive features, forms with calculations, or embedded code aren't allowed.

Why: JavaScript engines evolve. Code that runs today might not run in the future.

5. Device-Independent Color

Colors must use device-independent color spaces (like sRGB, Adobe RGB, or CMYK with embedded ICC profiles).

Why: Ensures colors look the same regardless of display or printer.

6. Metadata Must Be Present

PDF/A requires specific metadata fields (title, author, creation date).

Why: Helps with document management and searchability over time.

7. No Audio or Video

Multimedia content isn't allowed.

Why: Codecs change, players evolve, formats become obsolete.

8. No Transparency (PDF/A-1 only)

Newer versions (PDF/A-2+) allow transparency, but PDF/A-1 doesn't.

Why: Ensures consistent rendering across all viewers.

Why Should You Care About PDF/A?

Unless you're in a field that requires long-term document retention, PDF/A might seem like overkill. But here's why it matters:

1. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Many industries require PDF/A for official documents:

Government agencies: Records management, public records, official filings
Legal profession: Court filings, contracts, evidence
Healthcare: Patient records, medical research
Finance: Tax records, audit trails, regulatory filings
Academia: Dissertations, research publications, digital libraries

Failure to use PDF/A can result in rejected filings, compliance violations, or documents being deemed inadmissible.

2. Long-Term Accessibility

Digital preservation isn't just for governments. Consider:

Personal archives: Family documents, photos, genealogy records
Business records: Contracts, financial statements, correspondence
Creative work: Published books, art portfolios, design portfolios
Academic research: Theses, dissertations, datasets

PDF/A ensures these remain readable long after the software that created them is obsolete.

3. Consistency Across Systems

PDF/A files look the same everywhere—no missing fonts, no broken links, no rendering issues.

4. Search and Discovery

PDF/A documents are fully searchable with embedded text and metadata, making them easier to organize and find decades later.

Real-World Use Cases

Government Agencies

Scenario: A state archives office digitizes historical records dating back to the 1800s.

Why PDF/A: State law requires all digitized records to remain accessible for 100+ years. PDF/A-1b ensures maximum longevity.

Law Firms

Scenario: A law firm files legal briefs, contracts, and evidence with the court.

Why PDF/A: Many courts now require PDF/A-compliant filings. Non-compliant PDFs are rejected.

Healthcare Providers

Scenario: A hospital maintains electronic health records (EHRs) that must be preserved for decades.

Why PDF/A: HIPAA and state laws require long-term record retention. PDF/A ensures patient records remain readable.

Academic Institutions

Scenario: A university library archives dissertations and research publications.

Why PDF/A: PDF/A ensures academic work remains accessible to future researchers.

Corporations

Scenario: A company must retain financial statements and contracts for auditing and legal purposes.

Why PDF/A: Regulatory requirements (Sarbanes-Oxley, SEC rules) mandate long-term document preservation.

Publishing

Scenario: An author publishes an ebook and wants to ensure it's readable indefinitely.

Why PDF/A: Protects against format obsolescence and ensures the work remains accessible.

How to Convert a PDF to PDF/A

Ready to make your documents archival-ready? Here's how:

Option 1: Use Our PDF/A Conversion Tool

Head to our PDF to PDF/A converter and:

Upload your PDF
Choose your PDF/A version (we recommend PDF/A-2b for most users)
Click convert
Download your PDF/A-compliant file

Time required: Under 2 minutes Cost: Free Technical skill needed: Clicking is the extent of it

Option 2: Adobe Acrobat

If you have a paid Acrobat subscription:

Open your PDF
Go to File → Save As Other → Archivable PDF (PDF/A)
Choose version and conformance level
Acrobat will analyze and fix any non-compliant elements
Save

Pros: Robust validation and correction tools Cons: Expensive subscription required

Option 3: Open-Source Tools

Ghostscript (command-line tool):

gs -dPDFA=2 -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sColorConversionStrategy=UseDeviceIndependentColor \
   -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dPDFACompatibilityPolicy=1 -sOutputFile=output_pdfa.pdf input.pdf

Pros: Free, powerful Cons: Requires technical know-how

Option 4: Microsoft Office

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can save directly as PDF/A:

Go to File → Save As
Choose PDF as file type
Click Options
Check "ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)"
Save

Great for: Creating PDF/A documents from scratch rather than converting existing PDFs.

Common Conversion Issues and Fixes

Problem: Fonts Not Embedded

Symptom: Conversion fails or text looks wrong in PDF/A.

Fix: Use fonts that support embedding, or substitute with embedded alternatives. Open-source fonts (like Liberation or DejaVu) work well.

Problem: Transparency Not Supported

Symptom: PDF/A-1 conversion removes or flattens transparency.

Fix: Use PDF/A-2 or higher, which supports transparency, or flatten transparent objects before converting.

Problem: External Links

Symptom: Conversion removes or breaks external links.

Fix: This is by design. PDF/A doesn't support external dependencies. Decide whether archival compliance or link functionality is more important.

Problem: Forms with JavaScript

Symptom: Interactive forms stop working after conversion.

Fix: PDF/A doesn't support JavaScript. Convert forms to static content or accept that interactivity will be lost.

Problem: File Size Increases

Symptom: PDF/A file is larger than the original.

Fix: This is normal because fonts and color profiles are embedded. Use our PDF compression tool afterward to reduce size (while maintaining PDF/A compliance).

Validating PDF/A Compliance

Just because a file claims to be PDF/A doesn't mean it actually is. Here's how to verify:

Online Validators

VeraPDF: Free, open-source, industry-standard validator
PDF/A Validator (various providers): Upload and check compliance

Adobe Preflight (Acrobat Pro)

Open the PDF in Acrobat
Tools → Print Production → Preflight
Choose a PDF/A profile
Click Analyze
View results (errors, warnings, passes)

Metadata Check

Open the PDF properties:

Look for "PDF/A" in the metadata
Check for version and conformance level

Note: Metadata can be faked, so use a proper validator for critical documents.

PDF/A vs. Regular PDF: When to Use Which

Use Regular PDF When	Use PDF/A When
Short-term sharing (weeks/months)	Long-term preservation (years/decades)
Interactive features needed (forms, videos)	Static content only
Encryption/passwords required	No encryption needed
File size is critical	Compliance is critical
Quick mockups or drafts	Final, official documents
External linking is essential	Self-contained documents

Rule of thumb: If it's temporary or interactive, use regular PDF. If it's permanent or official, use PDF/A.

Best Practices for Creating PDF/A Documents

DO:

✅ Start with PDF/A in mind: Create documents with archival compliance from the beginning (easier than converting later) ✅ Use embedded fonts: Stick to widely-supported, embeddable fonts ✅ Avoid transparency and layers (unless using PDF/A-2+) ✅ Include proper metadata: Title, author, subject, keywords ✅ Validate after creation: Always check compliance before archiving ✅ Document your process: Note which version/conformance level you used

DON'T:

❌ Assume all converters are equal: Some do a better job than others ❌ Forget to test: Open converted files in multiple PDF readers to ensure compatibility ❌ Ignore warnings: If a validator flags issues, fix them ❌ Encrypt PDF/A files (they're no longer compliant while encrypted) ❌ Rely on proprietary fonts: They might not embed properly

PDF/A and Compression

One common concern: PDF/A files can be larger than regular PDFs because everything is embedded.

Good news: You can still compress PDF/A files without breaking compliance!

Use lossless or high-quality lossy compression
Compress your PDF/A after conversion
Ensure the compression tool maintains PDF/A compliance (ours does!)

Pro tip: PDF/A-2 and higher support JPEG 2000 compression, which offers better compression ratios than traditional JPEG while maintaining quality.

The Future of PDF/A

PDF/A continues to evolve:

PDF/A-4 (released 2020): Based on PDF 2.0, includes modern features while maintaining archival integrity
Better compression: Newer versions support advanced compression techniques
Accessibility improvements: Enhanced tagging and structure for assistive technologies
Digital signatures: PDF/A-4 supports long-term validation of digital signatures

As technology advances, PDF/A adapts—but always maintains its core mission: long-term, reliable document preservation.

Common Myths About PDF/A

Myth 1: "PDF/A is only for governments"

Reality: Anyone who needs long-term document preservation benefits from PDF/A—businesses, researchers, archivists, even individuals preserving family history.

Myth 2: "PDF/A files are huge"

Reality: Yes, they're often larger than regular PDFs (due to embedded fonts and profiles), but compression can dramatically reduce size without breaking compliance.

Myth 3: "You need expensive software to create PDF/A"

Reality: Free tools (like ours) work great. Even Microsoft Office can save as PDF/A.

Myth 4: "PDF/A is outdated"

Reality: PDF/A-4 was released in 2020 and is based on the latest PDF 2.0 standard. It's actively maintained and evolving.

Myth 5: "PDF/A means no security"

Reality: While PDF/A itself doesn't support encryption, you can encrypt a PDF/A file (it just loses formal compliance while encrypted). You can also use digital signatures with PDF/A-4.

Ready to Preserve Your Documents?

PDF/A might seem like a niche format, but if your documents need to last—whether for legal compliance, historical preservation, or just peace of mind—it's the right choice.

Think of it as the digital equivalent of acid-free archival paper: it costs a little more (in terms of file size and conversion effort), but it ensures your work survives for future generations.

And with tools that make conversion easy and free, there's no reason not to use PDF/A for important documents.

So go ahead: convert that PDF to PDF/A, validate it, and rest easy knowing it'll be readable in 2075. Your great-grandkids will thank you. 📜