PDF/A (ISO 19005-1) FAQs


General Information


Creation and Use


Additional Resources


General Information


What is a PDF/A?

PDF/A is an ISO standard established for long-term preservation of documents and files. Unlike basic PDF files, PDF/A profiles embed font and color information in the document in order to insure that the document can be reproduced exactly as created in the future. The PDF/A standard was created to address problems created by storing information in an electronic format. ISO 19005-1 is an initial attempt to meet user’s electronic document long-term storage needs.

PDF/A's goal is preserve appearance of file over time and also will support future access and future migration needs by providing frameworks for embedding metadata about the file, and defining the logical structure and semantic properties of file. PDF/A-1 files will be self-contained, self-describing files.[1]


How is PDF/A able to meet long-term preservation needs?


What is the difference between PDF and PDF/A?

PDF, though very useful, does not necessarily meet long-term storage needs. Some of the features like fonts that are used by a PDF file are not embedded into the files, which can mean that as time passes it will be less likely that a PDF will be able to be read. PDF files can be created using many different software applications, and there is a lack of standards for PDF files across the different applications. It is likely that different “PDF” files could be corrupted or otherwise unreadable by a PDF reader. PDF/A, with the ISO standards, should not have the long-term storage problems that a PDF file can have.


When should PDF/A be used?

The PDF/A file format could be used any time the long-term storage of a digital document is necessary. It is unnecessary to convert all your work files to the PDF/A file format. Drafts of reports, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, which are being updated on a regular basis, would be a case where it would not make sense to convert the file to PDF/A.


Embedded Fonts and Types of Information included in a PDF/A


What fonts should be used when creating a PDF/A document?

Most popular fonts (Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica) can be embedded into a PDF/A formatted file. Other fonts cannot be embedded; therefore precaution should be taken when selecting a font.

When a PDF/A file is created, the application (Adobe Professional, etc.) ensures that all fonts are embedded into the file. If the fonts are not embedded, a PDF/A file cannot be created. Adobe Professional and Reader can verify whether fonts are embedded into the file by checking under the “Properties” of the file.


Can multimedia information (audio or video files) be included in a PDF/A file?

No. At this time audio and video files cannot be included.


Does PDF/A support digital signatures?

Yes. PDF/A allows the use of digital signatures embedded in PDF as defined in the PDF Reference Manual. Because PDF digital signatures include a visual appearance, the appearance must conform to all the requirements of PDF/A including font embedding and use of device independent color. Not all commercial digital signatures tools follow these requirements.

The Adobe Professional application can be used to digitally sign a PDF/A file.[1]



Creation and Use


I use Adobe Professional to create PDF files, how do I go about creating a PDF/A using this application?

Click here for detailed instructions. See version 2.1, created 21 January 2009.


Are PDF/A created documents backward compatible with older versions of Adobe Reader?

Yes. One of the keys to the creation and use of the PDF/A ISO standard was that all PDF reading applications created previously and in the future will be able to render the digital documents and files saved in the PDF/A format.


Is it possible for a standard PDF document to be migrated to the PDF/A format?

Yes. As long as the text of the original document’s font is embedded into the document, a PDF can be migrated to PDF/A.


Is there an efficient way to batch convert office documents to PDF/A?

Yes. Click here for instructions using Adobe Professional 8.0.


Additional Information


What are the main differences between PDF/A-1a and PDF/A-1b?

PDF/A-1a (Level A Conformance) denotes full compliance with the currently approved PDF/A Standard ISO 19005-1: Part 1.

There is also a “minimal compliance” level for PDF/A: PDF/A-1b (Level B Conformance). PDF/A-1b requirements are meant to ensure that the rendered visual appearance of the file is reproducible over the long-term.

PDF/A-1a and PDF/A-1b differ primarily with respect to text extraction.

PDF/A-1a ensures the preservation of a document’s logical structure and content text stream in natural reading order. The text extraction is especially important when the document must be displayed on a mobile device (for example a PDA) or other devices in accordance with Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act. In such cases the text must be reorganized on the limited screen size (re-flow). This feature is also known as “Tagged PDFs”.

PDF/A-1b ensures that the text (and additional content) can be correctly displayed (e.g. on a computer monitor), but does not guarantee that extracted text will be legible or comprehensible. It therefore does not guarantee compliance with Section 508.[2]


Do documents published in Adobe Professional 7.07 meet the ISO standard for PDF/A?

Yes. Adobe Professional 7.07 is the first version to meet the ISO 19005-1 standard. The current version of Adobe, 8.0, also meets the latest standards and each successive version will create and read PDF/A files.


What other institutions have implemented the PDF/A standard?


Are PDF/A files larger than a normal PDF file?

Generally a PDF/A created from a PDF file will be relatively the same size. There are certain cases, which are extremely rare and dependent on the document itself, where the color profiles within the PDF/A will greatly increase the file size.


Are there additional resources about the PDF/A file format?

Yes. Click here to see a list of additional resources on the PDF/A file format.


Information in this FAQ has been gathered from multiple resources including: