Open a PDF and download an archive copy as PDF/A-2b, the format used for long-term storage and many submission portals. A colour profile and PDF/A details are added, scripts and attachments are removed, and the fonts are checked. The original file is not changed. It is free, and your PDF never leaves this device.
How to make a PDF/A, step by step
- Drop a PDF on the page or press Choose a PDF.
- Read What was found. If some pages use fonts that are not stored in the file, choose how to handle them.
- Press Convert to PDF/A.
- Press Download PDF/A.
What PDF/A is
PDF/A is the version of PDF made for keeping documents readable for decades. Courts, tax offices, universities and archives often ask for it. A PDF/A file has to carry everything it needs inside it, such as its fonts and colour information, and it may not depend on scripts, links to outside files or attachments.
What this tool changes
- Adds PDF/A-2b identification and the document details as XMP metadata, matching the title and author already in the file.
- Adds an sRGB colour profile as the output intent, so colours are defined the same way on every screen and printer.
- Removes JavaScript, actions that open other programs, automatic actions, attached files and media.
- Makes hidden annotations printable and keeps standard form fields with their appearance.
- Finds fonts that are not stored in the file and, if you choose, redraws only those pages as images.
Missing fonts
PDF/A needs every font stored inside the file. Pages that use a font that is not stored can be turned into images at 200 DPI, so they still look the same but their text can no longer be selected, or you can keep the text and accept that the file may not pass a strict check. Other pages are not changed.
What it cannot fix
Some files need changes that only a full editing suite can make, for example documents that use CMYK colours without a matching profile, unusual compression, or damaged fonts. Encrypted PDFs must be unlocked first. Because of this, the result is a best-effort conversion, and a validator is the only way to be sure. The free veraPDF validator gives a detailed report for any file.
Who uses it
People submitting theses, court filings, tax records, grant applications and tenders, and offices that archive invoices, contracts and reports. Check the portal's instructions for the exact PDF/A level it asks for.
Private by design
Your PDF is read and converted by your browser. Nothing is uploaded, which matters for the legal, medical and financial records that usually need archiving. A protected PDF can be opened with Unlock PDF first.
Questions
Which PDF/A level does it make?
PDF/A-2b, the level most portals accept.
Will my document look different?
It should look the same. Only pages with missing fonts are redrawn, and only if you choose that.
Will the portal definitely accept it?
Not always. Check the file with a PDF/A validator before you submit it.