Written and fact-checked by the Convertify editorial team. We test every workflow on real documents (government forms, design exports, scanned IDs, source code) before publishing — and re-test on each review date to keep the steps current.
What is PDF/A?
If you've ever submitted a document to a court, a government agency, or a library archive, you might have been asked for a PDF/A file.
PDF/A (Portable Document Format Archive) is an ISO-standard version of PDF specialized for long-term preservation.
How is it different from a normal PDF?
A normal PDF can reference fonts installed on your computer or link to external images. If you open that PDF 20 years from now on a new computer, those fonts or links might be missing, making the document unreadable.
PDF/A forbids these. It requires:
**Embedded Fonts**: All text info must be inside the file.
**No Encryption**: Passwords can be lost over time.
**No External Links**: All content must be self-contained.
**Color Standards**: Usage of device-independent color spaces.
How to Create a PDF/A File
You don't need expensive software to ensure compliance.
Open [Convertify PDF to PDF/A](/pdf-to-pdfa).
Upload your standard PDF.
Our tool automatically embeds fonts and removes non-compliant elements.
Download your ISO-compliant PDF/A file.
Who needs PDF/A?
**Lawyers**: For court filings (e.g., PACER uses PDF/A).
**Universities**: For thesis and dissertation submissions.
