What you should know
PDF/A is the version of PDF designed for long-term archiving, standardised by ISO as 19005. A PDF/A file must display identically decades from now, without depending on any external resource.
To achieve this, the standard requires all fonts to be embedded and colours to be precisely defined, and it forbids JavaScript, encryption and multimedia content. The file keeps the .pdf extension and opens in any reader.
Strengths
- Readability guaranteed over time, independently of software
- Required for many official submissions and legal archiving
- Opens like an ordinary PDF
- Compliance can be checked with free tools such as veraPDF
Limitations to know
- No encryption or password
- No embedded JavaScript, video or sound
- Sometimes slightly heavier, because of embedded fonts
- An electronic signature must be applied after conversion
When to use it
Use PDF/A for a document that must be kept for a long time or whose submission requires it: thesis, public tender, archived electronic invoice, deed. For everyday exchange, an ordinary PDF is enough.
Quality, size and compatibility
FileXvert produces PDF/A-2b with Ghostscript on its server, and we checked the compliance of the files it produces with veraPDF. The document's appearance is kept; only elements the standard forbids disappear.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a PDF/A open like a normal PDF?
- Yes: it is a PDF that follows additional rules. Every reader opens it, and some show a notice indicating archive mode.
- What does the b in PDF/A-2b mean?
- The basic conformance level: visual appearance is guaranteed. Levels a and u add requirements on structure and Unicode text.