Convert PDF to PDF/A
Drop your PDF and get a PDF/A ready for archiving: device-independent colour, fonts inside the file and metadata in order. Done in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Your files never leave your device
How to convert PDF to PDF/A
- 1
Drop your PDF
The conversion starts on its own, in your browser.
- 2
What the standard needs is fixed
The colour profile is added, missing fonts are embedded, and JavaScript, attachments and hidden annotations are removed.
- 3
Download the PDF/A
The result tells you what was done and, if something could not be fixed, that the file does not comply.
Why use this tool
Real PDF/A, verified
The engine is checked with veraPDF, the format's reference validator, over a bank of documents. And if a file cannot comply, we say so instead of labelling it anyway.
Without shifting the text
Missing fonts get a width-compatible equivalent (Liberation, which matches Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New), so the document looks the same.
Three levels
PDF/A-2b by default, the most widely accepted for archiving; also PDF/A-1b, the strictest, and PDF/A-3b, which allows attachments.
Private and free
The file never leaves your device and nothing is charged.
Frequently asked questions
What is PDF/A for?
It is a PDF with conditions so it still looks the same in twenty years: everything needed to render it travels inside the file (fonts, colour profile) and nothing that depends on the software or the moment is allowed (JavaScript, links to external files). Many public bodies require it.
Which level should I pick?
PDF/A-2b unless you have a specific requirement: it is the most widely accepted. PDF/A-1b is stricter (no transparency or layers) and some older institutions ask for it. PDF/A-3b is like 2b but allows attachments.
Why does it sometimes not comply?
Almost always because of a font that is not inside the PDF and has no free equivalent (symbols or maths), CMYK colours that would need a different profile, or text pointing at a glyph that does not exist. In those cases the source PDF has to be regenerated with the fonts embedded.
What if my PDF is signed?
Any change to the file invalidates the signature, so it is removed and you are told. If you need to keep the signature, ask whoever signed it for the PDF/A.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything happens in your browser, start to finish.