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How-To2026-03-223 min read

How to Check PDF/A Compliance — Validate Archival Standards

What is PDF/A?


PDF/A is an ISO standard (ISO 19005) for long-term archiving of electronic documents. It ensures that PDFs will remain readable for decades by requiring:


  • All fonts embedded
  • No encryption
  • XMP metadata present
  • Device-independent color
  • No external dependencies

    • Validate Your PDF


  • Go to Validate PDF/A
  • Upload your PDF
  • Get a compliance report
  • See which checks passed/failed

    • PDF/A Levels


    LevelDescription

    |-------|-------------|

    PDF/A-1bBasic — visual appearance preserved PDF/A-1aAccessible — structure and text preserved PDF/A-2bExtended — JPEG2000, transparency support PDF/A-3Attachments allowed

    Why PDF/A Matters


  • Government requirements — many agencies require PDF/A for submissions
  • Legal compliance — court filings often need PDF/A
  • Long-term storage — ensures readability 50+ years from now
  • Healthcare — medical records archiving

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