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The PDF Association celebrates its members’ public statements
of support
for ISO-standardized PDF technology.

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Twenty Years of Trust: Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of PDF/A-1

November 2025 by PDF Association staff

This month the PDF industry is celebrating the 20th anniversary of PDF/A-1 (ISO 19005-1:2005), the publication of which revolutionized digital preservation.

Before this standard, archiving suffered from dependency issues. PDF/A-1, based on a constrained subset of PDF 1.4, mandated self-contained, device-independent documents. These rules ensure that a PDF/A document’s appearance can be reliably maintained over centuries, regardless of viewing software.

Rapidly adopted globally, the principles established in PDF/A-1 persist in later standards like PDF/A-4, which is based on PDF 2.0, the latest ISO standard for PDF.

Happy 20th, PDF/A! We (ok, not us personally) fully expect to be celebrating your 200th anniversary in November 2225!

This month the PDF industry is celebrating the 20th anniversary of PDF/A-1 (ISO 19005-1:2005), the publication of which revolutionized digital preservation.

Before this standard, archiving suffered from dependency issues. PDF/A-1, based on a constrained subset of PDF 1.4, mandated self-contained, device-independent documents. These rules ensure that a PDF/A document’s appearance can be reliably maintained over centuries, regardless of viewing software.

Rapidly adopted globally, the principles established in PDF/A-1 persist in later standards like PDF/A-4, which is based on PDF 2.0, the latest ISO standard for PDF.

Happy 20th, PDF/A! We (ok, not us personally) fully expect to be celebrating your 200th anniversary in November 2225!

What you may be missing when you search PDF documents

February 2016 by Duff Johnson
Article


PDF files can be hard to search with confidence. Here’s why it matters, how it happens, and what you can do about it.

Duff Johnson
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January 2016 by PDF Association staff
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An R&D engineer at heart and an active PDF software developer, Peter brings new energy to the Project Leader role.

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January 2016 by PDF Association staff
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PDF/VT Application Notes available

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December 2015 by PDF Association staff
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Download the first public draft of the PDF Structure Elements Best Practice Guide today!

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December 2015 by PDF Association staff
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The coming year means more PDF files, more PDF creators supporting PDF/UA and leveraging PDF/A-3. The space continues to grow, … Read more

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December 2015 by PDF Association staff
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These videos total over 20 hours of high-quality technical education and perspective, from panel sessions to technical deep-dives.

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December 2015 by PDF Association staff
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The popular PDF Days Europe will be even more attractive. It’s not just the new location in the metropolis of … Read more

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December 2015 by PDF Association staff
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Use our new express form to publish your posts on pdfa.org.

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October 2015 by PDF Association staff
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The TWAIN Working Group (TWG) announced its partnership with the PDF Association.

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October 2015 by PDF Association staff
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With a month remaining before the doors open for the PDF Accessibility Days in Copenhagen on November 12-13, 2015 , … Read more

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October 2015 by PDF Association staff
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A few weeks ahead of the PDF Accessibility Days 2015 in Copenhagen, Olaf Drümmer interviewed Ted Page, who will be … Read more

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