Archival PDF
This page gathers content regarding archival PDF from across pdfa.org.
- ISO standards for archival PDF
- Industry specifications on archival PDF
- Other PDF industry publications related to archiving
- Member communities related to archiving
- Articles on archival PDF
- PDF Days presentations on archival PDF
- Members' products & services supporting PDF/A
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
This International Standard specifies the AFP document architecture by defining a subset appropriate for long-term … Read more
ISO 19005, known as PDF/A-3, is equivalent to PDF/A-2, but with the addition of the … Read more
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.
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 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
Private data is everywhere is in almost every broadly-adopted file format. This Application Note answers … Read more
Member communities related to archiving
The PDF Association's volunteer communities 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 communities:
Archival and long-term preservation of PDF, including ISO 19005 and … Read more
Developing common understandings and a standard reference model for the … Read more
Articles on archiving
PDF Association members can post non-commercial educational content on pdfa.org.
November 2025 by Peter Wyatt
Understanding how URLs can exist and behave in PDF/A files is critical to preservationists who need to identify, audit, and … Read more
February 2023 by Peter Wyatt
The joint Australian and New Zealand national committee on Records and Document Management Systems recommendation to both Standards Australia and … 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.
PDF/A-4 introduces various changes in features and structure of conformance levels. Also new are PDF/X-6, PDF/VT-3 and PDF/R. In addition ISO used the opportunity to harmonize all these standards so … 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
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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