Many submissions for tenders, theses, and archives require PDF/A. It’s a “long‑term preservation friendly” profile focused on self‑containment and reproducibility (embedded fonts, color management, no external dependencies). Here’s the why, how, and how to fix issues.
One‑click: convert PDF to PDF/A
- Open PDF/A Conversion
- Upload your PDF and choose a target level (commonly A‑1b or A‑2u)
- Download the PDF/A and verify it in the target system
Which level to pick?
- A‑1b: basic and widely accepted, focusing on visual reproducibility; common for archiving/tendering.
- A‑2u: based on A‑2 with a requirement for searchable/copyable Unicode text — ideal when text searchability matters.
Typical reasons for failure / rejection
- Fonts not embedded or missing glyphs
- External dependencies (media/scripts/form links)
- Transparency/layers not allowed by older levels (e.g., A‑1b is stricter)
- Color spaces or ICC profiles missing/invalid
Practical fixes
- Flatten interactive elements:
Flatten PDF to solidify annotations/forms and remove scripts/dynamic parts. - Simplify complex vectors:
Rasterize PDF before converting (trade some fidelity for compliance). - Unify page sizes and resolution:
Resize Pages for more consistent output across systems. - If the file is too large:
Compress PDF to balance readability and size.
Digital signatures and PDF/A
Conversion/flattening may invalidate existing signatures. If signatures are required, consider a “finalize → protect/flatten → sign last” sequence, or provide both a protected review copy and a to‑be‑signed version.
When PDF/A is required
- Academic submissions (school/journal/conference requirements)
- Government/enterprise tenders, project archives, contract archiving
- Legal/accounting documents needing long‑term reproducibility
Trade‑offs with PDF/A
PDF/A favors reproducibility and self‑containment, sometimes at the cost of interactivity. Confirm the exact level required (A‑1b/A‑2u/A‑3b, etc.) before submission.
Validation tips and submission checklist
- Pre‑check in the target system. If it flags fonts/transparency/external links, address them as above and reconvert.
- For searchable‑text requirements, ensure the source has a text layer (or run OCR to Searchable) and then choose A‑2u.
- Preserve readability for long‑term access — avoid extreme compression that hampers legibility.
Convert to PDF/A
Supports A‑1b/A‑2u, suitable for theses, tenders, and archiving.
Flatten PDF
Solidify annotations/forms; remove dynamic dependencies.
Rasterize PDF
If transparency/complex vectors fail, rasterize first.
OCR to Searchable
Ensure a text layer for A‑2u compliance.
Compress PDF
Balance compliance and readability while reducing size.