Archival PDF
Representing the PDF industry via our Category A Liaison with ISO TC 171 SC 2, the PDF Association provides a vendor-neutral platform for PDF’s stakeholders to come together to achieve technical consensus on advancing the specifications and standards that define PDF technology.
We are deeply committed to providing the necessary infrastructure, guidance, techniques, and other resources to help developers, regulators, authors and users get on the same page about how to ensure rich, reliable, accessible PDF documents.
Of our Technical and Liaison Working Groups 3 are directly concerned with the method and practice of archiving digital documents, primarily the PDF/A family of documents (ISO 19005)
This page gathers content regarding archival PDF from across pdfa.org.
ISO standards for archivable PDF
The PDF Association is ISO’s and ANSI’s committee manager for ISO TC 171 SC 2, publisher of all ISO standards for PDF technology with the exception of ISO 15930 (PDF/X), which is developed under the auspices of ISO TC 130.
ISO 19005-4, known as PDF/A-4, defines a subset of PDF 2.0 for representing electronic documents … Read more
ISO 19005-2 defines a subset of PDF 1.7 for representing electronic documents in a manner … Read more
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Industry specifications on archiving
These formal industry publications define the interoperable use of PDF technology for archival purposes. All are freely available. Some are also published as ISO standards.
Based on PDF/A, the EA-PDF specification defines a specification for a vendor- and platform- neutral … Read more
TechNote 0010 offers ISO TC 171 SC 2 WG 5-reviewed and industry-supported clarifications of ISO … Read more
Prior to development of the Isartor Test Suite, the PDF/A Competence Center Technical Working Group … Read more
This TechNote explains how to construct an XMP extension schema for PDF/A-1.
This TechNote lists all XMP schemas and properties which are allowed in PDF/A-1. Most importantly, … Read more
Diese TechNote führt alle XMP-Schemas und Eigenschaften auf, die in PDF/A-1 erlaubt sind. Dabei werden insbesondere die vordefinierten XMP-Schemas für die Verwendung in PDF/A-1 abgedeckt. Es … Read more
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Other PDF industry publications related to archiving
In keeping with the spirit of the original PDF Reference, all PDF Association publications are freely available.
This Application Note describes means of incorporating custom metadata structures into PDF files, and includes … Read more
This Application Note provides acceptable uses of HDR images and color data when using PDF/A … Read more
This document provides guidance and recommendations for application developers who want to create PDF files … Read more
Free XMP Extension Schema templates that support compliance with ISO standards and specifications utilizing XMP.
Private data is everywhere is in almost every broadly-adopted file format. This Application Note answers … Read more
This page provides external links to all legacy Adobe PDF references and errata, as well … Read more
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Member working groups related to archiving
The PDF Association’s volunteer working groups represent the organization’s true purpose and most important feature. Their primary purpose is to develop and obtain consensus on PDF specifications, test-suites, technical and application notes, best practices and other formal industry guidance. Many of these products are eventually submitted for ISO standardization via ISO TC 171 SC 2.
Archiving is the direct or indirect focus of the following working groups:
Developing common understandings and a standard reference model for the … Read more
Archival and long-term preservation of PDF, including ISO 19005 and … Read more
Articles on archiving
PDF Association members can post non-commercial educational content on pdfa.org.
July 2026 by Benson Hendall (PDFSmart)
HMRC has confirmed the UK’s 2029 e-invoicing mandate will run on Peppol, with PDFs excluded by definition. Weeks from now, … Read more
December 2025 by Peter Wyatt
Starting In 2025, the three most significant ISO standardized subsets of PDF – PDF/A, PDF/X, and PDF/UA – are now … Read more
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PDF Days presentations on archiving
These educational presentations were presented at PDF Days events by a wide range of industry experts. Since 2022 PDF Days has been replaced with the PDF Week series of technical conferences.
There have been approaches around to ensure integrity and authenticity of electronic documents and preserving evidence of digitally signed documents. Being mostly on the national level there’s now a European … Read more
Learn about what makes PDF the ideal document format for long-term information preservation, including best practices for creating archival documents, and how PDF is used to facilitate reliable information interchange … Read more
Discover the strategic direction of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as it outlines its Records Management Policy and Outreach Program. This session explores evolving priorities, digital transformation, … Read more
As newspaper publishing moves increasingly online, libraries must adapt their preservation strategies. This session explores how the Library of Congress uses PDF to support newspaper eDeposit, enabling efficient digital submission, … Read more
PDF is the most popular format for sharing engineering documents. Join us to explore the various PDF standards (PDF, PDF/A, PDF/E) and how they can be applied to archive engineering … Read more
Members’ news on archival PDF
PDF Association members have lots to say! pdfa.org provides a means for our members to promote their company, products and services. The PDF Association is not responsible for members’ representation of their products or services.
August 2026 by Mary Ann Rowan (Solimar Systems)
The mailroom has evolved from conveyor belts to intelligent workflows. Solimar Systems unifies print and digital communications, secures sensitive documents, … Read more
May 2026 by Francesco Pretto (The PoDoFo Community)
A release that opens up even more to the business world, with improvements in support for validation, digital signatures and … Read more
November 2025 by Daniel Wilson (BFO (Big Faceless Organization))
PDF/A has become the gold standard for preserving digital documents, ensuring they remain readable and reliable for decades. OctoPDF makes … Read more
Members’ products & services supporting PDF/A
PDF Association members are entitled to post their products and services in the product showcase. The members’ posting the products listed below are claiming that the product supports PDF/A. The PDF Association is not responsible for members’ representation of their products or services.
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