PDF to PDF/A
Convert PDF to PDF/A for long-term archiving online free. Compliant with ISO 19005 PDF/A-1b and PDF/A-2b standards for legal and regulatory archiving. No signup.
PDF/A Converter transforms standard PDFs into ISO 19005-compliant PDF/A archives — the format required by government agencies, legal archives, healthcare systems, and long-term storage systems worldwide. PDF/A strips features that depend on external resources (embedded JavaScript, encryption, multimedia, external fonts, non-reproducible transparency) and embeds everything needed to render the document identically in 50 years without any external dependencies. The tool supports PDF/A-1b (most compatible), PDF/A-2b (supports JPEG2000 and layers), and PDF/A-3b (allows embedded files). Conversion runs in your browser via pdf-lib: fonts are subset and embedded, color spaces are converted to sRGB, and metadata XMP records are written to the document's info dictionary.
Most PDF/A tools run server-side with proprietary engines (Ghostscript or Adobe) and charge per document. This tool converts entirely in your browser — no upload, no cost, no data sent anywhere. For most standard business documents it produces fully conformant PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b files. It also validates existing PDFs for PDF/A compliance and reports non-conformance issues before conversion.
Features
- PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, and PDF/A-3b output options
- Font embedding — subsets and embeds all fonts to eliminate dependency on system fonts
- Color space normalization — converts all color spaces to device-independent ICC sRGB
- XMP metadata embedding — writes required PDF/A identification metadata
- JavaScript removal — strips all embedded JS (required for PDF/A compliance)
- Encryption removal — strips password protection (PDF/A cannot be encrypted)
- Compliance validator — checks existing PDFs for PDF/A conformance and reports issues
- 100% browser-side conversion — no upload, no API, no cost per document
How to use PDF to PDF/A
- Open your PDF
- Choose PDF/A level (1b for maximum compatibility, 2b for modern features, 3b for embedded files)
- Run the compliance pre-check to see what needs to be changed
- Click "Convert to PDF/A" and download the compliant archive PDF
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PDF/A-1b, 2b, and 3b?
PDF/A-1b: most compatible, no transparency, no layers. PDF/A-2b: supports JPEG2000 compression, transparency, and layers (smaller files). PDF/A-3b: all of 2b plus allows attaching any file type as an embedded attachment.
Will my PDF look different after conversion?
Visually, no. The conversion embeds fonts and normalizes colors, so the document renders identically. External links still work, but JavaScript is removed.
Is this accepted by courts and government agencies?
PDF/A-1b is accepted by most legal archives, court e-filing systems, and EU government portals. Check your specific institution's requirements for the required conformance level.
What if my PDF has encrypted content?
PDF/A cannot be encrypted by definition. The tool removes password protection as part of conversion. You will be warned if the PDF is owner-protected.