Convert
PDF to PDF/A
Create a PDF/A-2b copy for long-term archiving, or check whether a PDF already meets the standard. Every result is validated, and the report downloads with it.
Uploaded securely and deleted after processing
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PDFOne PDF up to 30 MB
What PDF to PDF/A does
PDF/A is the ISO-standard form of PDF for documents that must open and look the same decades from now. It bans anything that depends on the outside world: every font has to be embedded in the file, colors must be defined precisely, and encryption, scripts and linked content are not allowed.
The tool offers two operations. Convert & validate rewrites your PDF as PDF/A-2b, embedding fonts and converting colors to sRGB, then checks the result with the veraPDF validator. You only get a download if the new copy passes and has the same number of pages as the original. Check PDF/A-2b only validates your file as it is, without rewriting it.
The preview and a first look for forms, signatures and pages without text happen in your browser. The PDF is uploaded when you start either operation, and temporary processing files are removed when the request ends.
Is this the right tool?
Good for
- Filing documents with a court, registry or agency that asks for PDF/A
- Preparing records, theses or reports for a library or company archive
- Checking a PDF/A file you received before you store or forward it
- Getting a validation report to attach to a submission
Not the right tool for
- Files that still need edits or form filling. Finish those first; PDF/A is the last step, and any later change means validating again.Edit PDF
- Scanned documents that should be searchable. Conversion does not add text recognition, so run OCR before you archive.OCR PDF
- Password-protected PDFs. PDF/A does not allow encryption, so unlock the file with its password first.Unlock PDF
How to convert a PDF to PDF/A
Choose a PDF
Drop one PDF up to 30 MB. A local preview opens, and Document notes points out signature fields, form fields and pages without text.
Pick an Operation
Convert & validate creates a new PDF/A-2b copy. Check PDF/A-2b only validates the file without rewriting it.
Run it
Select the Convert & validate or Check PDF/A-2b button and keep the tab open while the Upload, Convert, Validate and Prepare stages complete.
Read the result
The result states whether PDF/A-2b validation passed and how many rules passed and failed. Compare the pages with your original in the preview.
Download
Select Download PDF/A, then Download report (JSON) or veraPDF report (XML) if your archive wants proof of validation.
Worked example
A thesis that the university repository requires in PDF/A
Say your university repository asks for PDF/A-2b, and your thesis was exported from a word processor as an ordinary PDF. Start with Check PDF/A-2b only. The result says the file does not pass and lists failed checks; fonts that are not embedded and color without a defined profile are typical causes.
Select Convert this PDF. The tool rewrites the file, validates the new copy and reports that PDF/A-2b validation passed, with the original and output page counts side by side.
Page through the preview and look closely at pages with equations or special symbols, because a font that was missing from the original has to be replaced by a substitute. Download the PDF/A and the validation report, and upload both if the repository asks for them.
Tips for a better result
- Filled form fields can become fixed text in the PDF/A copy. Confirm the values are still visible before you archive.
- A digital signature does not survive conversion, because the contents of the file change. Archive the signed original beside the PDF/A copy if the signature matters.
- Ask the archive which flavor it accepts. PDF/A-2b is widely used, but some bodies ask for PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-3.
- Any edit after conversion, even adding page numbers, can break conformance. Run Check PDF/A-2b only on the final file.
PDF to PDF/A: questions and answers
What does the b in PDF/A-2b mean?
It stands for basic conformance: the file must reliably reproduce the visual appearance of every page. The stricter levels, 2u and 2a, add requirements for searchable Unicode text and for structure tags. Level b is the one this tool produces and checks.
Why is my PDF/A file a different size from the original?
File size can move in either direction. Embedding fonts and a color profile adds data that an ordinary PDF may leave out, while rewriting the file can also store some content more compactly. The result screen shows the original and output sizes together.
Will my PDF look different after conversion to PDF/A?
It should look the same, and the tool does not return a file whose page count changed. Two things can shift slightly: colors defined for a particular printer are converted to sRGB, and a font that was not embedded in the original is replaced by a substitute. Compare a few pages in the preview before you archive.
Is PDF/A the same as an accessible PDF?
No. PDF/A-2b is about preserving appearance, not about reading order, alternative text or tags, which is what accessibility standards such as PDF/UA cover. A file can pass PDF/A-2b and still be hard to use with a screen reader.