The PDF Association at 20
Founded as the PDF/A Competence Center in 2006, in 2026 the PDF Association is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Over the past two decades it has grown into a global, vendor-neutral organization with over 150 members from 30 countries. Its mission is to advance ISO standards for PDF technology, facilitate technical working groups across various domains (like accessibility and cryptography), and host international events.
The PDF Association’s work ensures that PDF remains an open, interoperable, and continuously evolving document format.
The PDF Association at 20
Founded as the PDF/A Competence Center in 2006, in 2026 the PDF Association is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Over the past two decades it has grown into a global, vendor-neutral organization with over 150 members from 30 countries. Its mission is to advance ISO standards for PDF technology, facilitate technical working groups across various domains (like accessibility and cryptography), and host international events.
The PDF Association’s work ensures that PDF remains an open, interoperable, and continuously evolving document format.
By Duff Johnson
February 2026
Featured articles
What you need to know today.
Recent articles
Informative (non-commercial) articles by PDF Association members and staff.
January 2011 by Duff Johnson
Duff Johnson considers the Beyond the PDF workshop and suggests PDF/E as a means of developing real-world solutions for science … Read more
January 2011 by Duff Johnson
Duff Johnson reviews a recent report on PDF content accessibility produced by the Australian federal government. The Report accurately characterizes … Read more
October 2010 by Duff Johnson
NOTE: Since this article was published the ISO specification for PDF/A has added new “parts”. Visit the PDF/A resource page … Read more
News from the PDF Association
Announcements, publications, events and other updates.
February 2026 by PDF Association staff
Adobe has renewed its Standards Support Endowment for 2026, marking the 8th year of this program.
January 2026 by PDF Association staff
The new product showcase helps users explore the variety of products and services provided by PDF Association members!
News from PDF Association members
PDF Association members post updates on their software and services.
February 2026 by Lindsey Schroeder (Datalogics)
Datalogics now makes it easier to create PAdES B-T digital signatures in PDF documents by generating signatures directly through a … Read more
February 2026 by Continual Engine
Learn how poorly structured tables impact PDF accessibility, screen reader navigation, and compliance with accessibility standards.
PDF in the Wild
Our (occasionally lighthearted) monthly post covering items of interest to PDF’s technical community.
February 2026 by PDF Association staff
A PDF icon doesn’t mean that the link goes to a PDF | Register for PDF Week London | Save … Read more
November 2025 by PDF Association staff
Browsers leverage PDF in their battle for dominance | Your PDF says a lot about you | Is Big Data … Read more
PDF Association news for members
May 2025 by PDF Association staff
Submit a Technical Poster to showcase your ideas at PDF Days Europe 2025!
September 2024 by PDF Association staff
PDF Association members – especially those working on PDF’s imaging model – can now access TC 42 WG 23 resources … Read more
