How to Convert PDF to PDFA Format | Fast & Reliable Conversion

PDF/A Conversion Library: ISO-compliant PDF to PDF/A

Convert pdf to pdfa format using GdPicture.NET ISO-compliant library.
Converted files are fully searchable and keep a reasonable size thanks to the many compression techniques supported.
The PDF SDK also includes a PDF/A validator.

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The PDF/A standard

PDF/A is the electronic document file format for long-term preservation. Its purpose is to ensure that electronic documents can be viewed and reproduced exactly the same way in the future, no matter which software is used.

For this reason, the document must contain all necessary elements (fonts, color profiles, a digital signature if it is present in the original document) for an authentic reproduction, but it may not contain any references to external content or resources.

Learn more

Challenges of PDF/A conversion

Each format conversion has its challenges and PDF/A conversion has its fair share. First, the standard was not written with conversion in mind, and then in many cases, understanding the format is not sufficient and several conversion strategies are required.
Some of the challenges include:

Fonts conformance (non-embedded fonts, incorrect font definitions, inconsistent glyph metrics)
Prohibited content (JavaScript, external content references, embedded files, forbidden annotation types)
Colorspace conformance ( device-dependent colorspaces, incorrect colorspace definitions)
Metadata conformance (metadata does not conform to the XMP Specification)

Features

Converts 100+ formats to PDF/A
Native PDF/A converter
All PDF/A substandards are supported

Conversion by direct modification
Conversion by vectorization
Conversion by rasterization

Passes the veraPDF validator
Passes Adobe Acrobat Preflight tool
Read more on our blog article

The importance of validation

Because of the complexity of PDF document format, it is very important to validate if all the PDF/A specification requirements are met. To address this issue many PDF/A validators have been introduced and the validation results may vary when handling specific types of PDF/A documents.

To be certain that the files created by the GdPicture.NET PDF/A converter engine are compliant with the ISO standard, we have developed a PDF/A validator.

The GdPicture.NET PDF/A validator provides:

Conformance validation for all PDF versions:
1. PDF/A-1 (ISO 19005-1:2005)
2. PDF/A-2 (ISO 19005-2:2011)
3. PDF/A-3 (ISO 19005-3:2012)
4. PDF/A-4 (ISO 19005-4:2020)
It automatically determines the claimed conformance of the document.
It provides both a basic validation result or a detailed machine-readable report (XML).

The engine analyses and validates the following elements:

PDF structure
Lexical, syntactic, and semantic levels
Metadata
Fonts
Color space
Other properties

Test our PDF/A validation engine with your documents:

Areas of use

Many industries have been using PDF/A documents since the release of the first version of the ISO standard in 2005, because they have legal archiving needs:

Public administrations
Finance, insurance, healthcare
Law & justice

However, with the digitization process spreading worldwide the need and requirement for using, thus archiving electronic documents like invoices is growing and is now often made mandatory by many countries’ legislations for all organizations.

Try our PDF/A conversion engine with your document

Example of usage

Converting an existing PDF document to a new PDF/A document

How to use

Download and install GdPicture.NET package from here.

You will find a compiled demo applications in
[Install directory]\Samples\Bin\

You will find C# and VB.NET demo applications including source code in
[Install directory]\Samples\WinForm\

You will find other code snippets within the online reference guide found here

https://gdpicture.com/guides/gdpicture/

FAQs

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) specifically designed for the long-term archiving of electronic documents. It ensures that documents can be reproduced exactly the same way in the future by embedding all necessary components, such as fonts and color profiles, and prohibiting features unsuitable for long-term archiving, like external content references and JavaScript. This standardization is crucial for maintaining document fidelity over time.

The library supports all PDF/A sub-standards, including:

PDF/A-1: Based on PDF 1.4, suitable for basic archiving needs.
PDF/A-2: Based on PDF 1.7, introduces enhancements like support for JPEG2000 and transparency.
PDF/A-3: Allows embedding of arbitrary file formats within the PDF/A file.
PDF/A-4: Aligns with PDF 2.0, offering improved support for digital signatures and annotations.

This comprehensive support ensures compatibility with various archiving requirements.

The GdPicture.NET PDF/A Conversion Library employs several methods to achieve compliance:

Direct Modification: Adjusts the original PDF to meet PDF/A standards by embedding fonts, converting color spaces, and removing non-compliant elements.
Vectorization: Renders the document’s content into vector graphics, creating a new PDF/A-compliant document.
Rasterization: Converts each page into an image, which is then embedded into a PDF/A-compliant file.

These methods ensure that even complex or non-standard PDFs can be accurately converted to PDF/A.

Yes, the GdPicture.NET PDF/A Conversion Library can convert over 100 different file formats, including Microsoft Office documents, images, and more, directly into PDF/A-compliant files. This versatility simplifies the archiving process by allowing diverse document types to be standardized into a uniform format.

The library includes a built-in PDF/A validator that analyzes documents for conformance with the specified PDF/A standard. It provides detailed reports on any issues detected, allowing users to ensure that their documents meet all necessary requirements for long-term archiving.