Conforming to both PDF/A and PDF/UA
In an era where regulatory requirements for accessible documents are increasing, many developers are tasked with adding PDF/UA support to their existing PDF/A output capabilities, while other stakeholders, especially preservationists and those tasked with ensuring accessibility, have questions.
This Best Practice Guide provides essential guidance and recommendations for application developers and others aiming to create PDF files that adhere to multiple ISO-standardized subsets of PDF, specifically PDF/A (ISO 19005) for archiving and PDF/UA (ISO 14289) for accessibility. It applies to both PDF 1.7 and the newer PDF 2.0.
This guide addresses the challenges that arise when integrating these standards, particularly when legacy systems are based on older PDF specifications that may lack support for modern features. It explains how to navigate the complexities of creating documents that meet both archival and accessibility needs, ensuring long-term preservation and usability for all.
Readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the compatibility between various editions of PDF/A and PDF/UA. A compatibility table summarizes the PDF Association’s recommendations, outlining which versions of PDF/A and PDF/UA can be used together.
The PDF Association emphasizes the importance of referring to ISO 32000-2:2020 (PDF 2.0) as the reference specification for any PDF development effort.
This Best Practice Guide was developed by the PDF/A Technical Working Group (TWG) and the PDF/UA Technical Working Group (TWG).
Comments?
Technical questions about this Application Note are most effectively addressed by the PDF/A TWG and PDF/UA TWG. If you are not a member of the PDF Association but wish to offer a comment on this document, please write to pdfa-twg@pdfa.org or to pdfua-twg@pdfa.org.
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Published by the PDF Association © 2025
Developed by the PDF/A TWG and the PDF/UA TWG.