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PDF to PDF/A

PDF to PDF/A converts your document to PDF/A-2b, the ISO standard for long-term archiving, embedding every font so the file renders identically decades from now.

About PDF to PDF/A

You usually reach this tool because something rejected your upload. Court e-filing portals, academic journals, patent offices, tender platforms and national archives commonly mandate PDF/A, and their validators refuse anything else. Conversion runs through Ghostscript, which rewrites the file to conform: fonts are embedded, colour is defined against a known profile, and features that break long-term readability are removed.

That removal is the part to plan for. PDF/A forbids external dependencies, so JavaScript, embedded video, audio, encryption and file attachments are stripped, and transparency may be flattened in PDF/A-2b. Fonts that were never licensed for embedding can also cause trouble. Keep your original file, compare the converted version visually, and run it through the recipient's validator before you submit.

How to pdf to pdf/a

  1. Select the PDF you need converted for archiving or formal submission.
  2. Confirm the PDF/A-2b conformance level, which suits most submission requirements.
  3. Click Convert while Ghostscript embeds fonts and rewrites the document structure.
  4. Download the PDF/A file and check it in your recipient's validator before submitting.

Why use this tool

Full font embedding

Every typeface used is written into the file, so the document displays identically on any machine even if the original font is no longer installed anywhere.

ISO 19005 compliance

Output targets PDF/A-2b, the conformance level accepted by most courts, journals, patent offices and government archives for formal submissions.

Ghostscript engine

Conversion uses Ghostscript, a long-established PDF engine, rather than a browser plugin, so results are consistent and validators generally accept them.

Frequently asked questions

What is PDF/A and why do I need it?
PDF/A is an ISO standard for documents that must stay readable for decades. It requires fonts, colour profiles and everything else needed for display to live inside the file, with no external references. Courts, journals and government bodies mandate it for exactly that reason.
What is the difference between PDF/A-1b, 2b and 3b?
They are successive versions of the standard. PDF/A-1b is strictest and oldest, 2b adds JPEG 2000, transparency and layers, 3b permits arbitrary attached files. This tool produces 2b, which is the level most submission systems now ask for.
Will converting change how my document looks?
Usually not visibly, but it can. Ghostscript may flatten transparency and substitute a font that cannot legally be embedded, which occasionally shifts spacing. Compare the converted file against your original page by page before submitting anything with a deadline attached.
My court portal still rejects the file. Why?
Check which conformance level it demands, since some older systems require PDF/A-1b specifically. Rejections also come from encryption on the source file, digital signatures broken by conversion, or size limits. The portal's validator report usually names the exact failing rule.
Does conversion remove anything from my PDF?
Yes, by design. JavaScript, embedded media, encryption, transparency groups and external references are removed or flattened because they conflict with long-term readability. Interactive form fields generally survive as static appearances. Keep your original if you still need those features.