How to Convert PDF to PDF/A: The Archival Format Explained

You try to submit a document to a government portal and get an error: "File must be in PDF/A format." Or your legal department tells you that all contracts must be archived as PDF/A. Or your university requires thesis submissions in PDF/A-2b.

You stare at the error and think: "What on earth is PDF/A?"

You are not alone. PDF/A is one of the most important document formats in the world, but most people have never heard of it — until they are required to use it.

What Is PDF/A?

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of PDF (specifically ISO 19005) designed for one purpose: long-term digital preservation.

A regular PDF can contain all sorts of things — embedded videos, JavaScript, external font references, links to online resources. This is great for flexibility, but terrible for archiving. What happens when that YouTube link breaks? What happens when the font server goes offline? What happens when the JavaScript engine in the reader changes?

PDF/A solves this by enforcing strict rules:

• All fonts must be embedded: No external font references that might break in the future.
• All images must be embedded: No links to external image files.
• No JavaScript: Scripts can change behavior over time, breaking consistency.
• No audio or video: Only static, reproducible content.
• No encryption: The file must always be readable without a password.
• Color profiles must be embedded: Colors must render consistently across devices and time.

The result is a PDF that will look exactly the same whether you open it today, in 10 years, or in 100 years.

Who Requires PDF/A?

• Government Agencies: Many federal, state, and EU agencies require PDF/A for official document submissions (tax filings, permit applications, regulatory filings).
• Courts & Legal Departments: Legal records must be preserved unaltered for decades. PDF/A is the standard.
• Universities: Thesis and dissertation submissions are increasingly required in PDF/A.
• Healthcare: Patient records stored digitally must meet archival standards.
• Financial Institutions: Audit records and financial statements archived for regulatory compliance.
• Libraries & Archives: Digital preservation of books, manuscripts, and historical records.

How to Convert Your PDF to PDF/A

1. Upload: Navigate to the PDF to PDF/A tool and drag your file(s) into the browser. Batch upload is supported for converting multiple files at once.
2. Convert: Click "Convert to PDF/A." Our engine analyzes your document, embeds all fonts and images, strips any non-compliant elements, and produces a valid PDF/A file.
3. Download: Save your archival-ready file(s).

What Changes During Conversion?

In most cases, your document will look identical after conversion. However, some things may change:

• External fonts are replaced with embedded equivalents.
• Transparency may be flattened (PDF/A-1b does not support transparency; PDF/A-2b does).
• JavaScript and multimedia are removed.
• External links in the document content are preserved visually but may be stripped from the metadata.

The visible content — text, images, layout — remains the same.

PDF vs. PDF/A at a Glance

Feature	Standard PDF	PDF/A
External fonts	Allowed	Prohibited (must embed)
JavaScript	Allowed	Prohibited
Encryption	Allowed	Prohibited
Audio/Video	Allowed	Prohibited
Long-term readability	Not guaranteed	Guaranteed by ISO standard
Government compliance	Varies	Widely accepted

Secure & Private

Your files are processed securely and permanently deleted from our servers within one hour. We never access, share, or sell your documents.

Stop getting rejected by submission portals. Convert your PDF Files to the archival standard and submit with confidence.