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How to Convert PDF to PDF/A: Archival PDF Format Guide

By PDFGo Team
PDFConvertPDF/AArchivePreservationGuide

How to Convert PDF to PDF/A: Archival PDF Format Guide

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of PDF designed specifically for long-term archiving and preservation. Converting PDFs to PDF/A ensures your documents can be viewed and reproduced exactly as intended, even years in the future.

Why Convert to PDF/A?

There are critical reasons to convert PDFs to PDF/A:

  • Long-term preservation: Ensures documents remain accessible for decades
  • ISO standard: Complies with international archiving standards
  • Self-contained: All fonts and resources are embedded
  • Future-proof: Guarantees future compatibility
  • Legal compliance: Meets requirements for document archiving
  • Reliability: Prevents dependency on external resources

What is PDF/A?

PDF/A (PDF/Archive) is:

  • ISO standard: International standard for archival PDFs
  • Self-contained: All fonts, images, and resources embedded
  • No external dependencies: Doesn't rely on external files or resources
  • Preservation-focused: Designed for long-term document preservation
  • Multiple versions: PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2, PDF/A-3 (different compliance levels)

How to Convert PDF to PDF/A

Step 1: Select Your PDF

Choose the PDF file you want to convert to PDF/A format.

Step 2: Upload and Process

Upload your PDF. The converter will:

  • Analyze PDF structure
  • Embed all fonts and resources
  • Remove external dependencies
  • Ensure PDF/A compliance
  • Create self-contained PDF/A file

Step 3: Review the PDF/A

Check the converted PDF/A to ensure:

  • Document looks correct
  • All fonts are embedded
  • Images are preserved
  • Content is complete

Step 4: Download

Download your new PDF/A file. The original PDF remains unchanged.

What Gets Preserved?

PDF/A conversion maintains:

Content

  • All text: Complete text content preserved
  • Images: All images embedded and preserved
  • Layout: Document layout maintained
  • Structure: Document structure preserved

Formatting

  • Fonts: All fonts embedded (required for PDF/A)
  • Colors: Color information preserved
  • Styling: Formatting and styling maintained
  • Graphics: All graphics embedded

Common Use Cases

Legal Documents

Convert legal documents to PDF/A for long-term legal archiving and compliance.

Government Records

Archive government documents and records in PDF/A format for permanent preservation.

Academic Archives

Convert academic papers, theses, and research to PDF/A for institutional archives.

Business Records

Archive important business documents, contracts, and records in PDF/A format.

Historical Documents

Preserve historical documents and records in PDF/A for future generations.

Benefits of PDF/A

Long-Term Access

  • Future compatibility: Ensures documents can be opened in the future
  • No dependencies: Doesn't require specific software versions
  • Self-contained: All resources included in file

Compliance

  • ISO standard: Meets international archiving standards
  • Legal validity: Accepted for legal and official archives
  • Regulatory: Meets regulatory requirements for document preservation

Reliability

  • Consistent rendering: Documents look the same everywhere
  • No missing fonts: All fonts embedded
  • Complete resources: All images and graphics included

Tips for PDF/A Conversion

Before Converting

  1. Check source quality: Ensure source PDF is high quality
  2. Verify fonts: Check that fonts can be embedded
  3. Review content: Ensure all content should be preserved
  4. Test first: Convert a test file to verify process

After Converting

  1. Verify compliance: Check that PDF/A conversion was successful
  2. Test opening: Open PDF/A in different viewers
  3. Check size: PDF/A files may be larger (all resources embedded)
  4. Verify content: Ensure all content is preserved

Best Practices

  1. Use for archives: Convert important documents to PDF/A for archiving
  2. Verify compliance: Check PDF/A compliance after conversion
  3. Test accessibility: Ensure PDF/A opens in standard viewers
  4. Keep originals: Save original PDFs if you might need to edit
  5. Document conversion: Note when documents were converted to PDF/A

Understanding PDF/A Versions

PDF/A-1

  • Basic compliance: Original PDF/A standard
  • Widely supported: Most compatible version
  • Stable: Well-established standard

PDF/A-2

  • Enhanced features: Supports more PDF features
  • Better compression: Improved file size handling
  • More flexible: Supports additional content types

PDF/A-3

  • Most flexible: Supports embedded files
  • Advanced features: Most feature-rich version
  • Future-oriented: Latest PDF/A standard

Troubleshooting

Conversion Fails

If conversion fails:

  • Check PDF isn't corrupted
  • Verify PDF can be opened normally
  • Ensure PDF isn't password-protected
  • Try different PDF/A version

Large File Sizes

PDF/A files may be larger:

  • All fonts must be embedded
  • All resources included
  • This is normal for PDF/A
  • Consider compression if needed

Conclusion

Converting PDFs to PDF/A is essential for long-term document preservation. Whether archiving legal documents, government records, or important business files, PDF/A ensures your documents remain accessible and viewable for decades to come.

Need to convert PDF to PDF/A? PDFGo converts PDFs to ISO-standardized PDF/A format, ensuring long-term preservation and compliance. Create archival PDFs with cloud-powered processing. Try PDFGo today!