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PDF/A and external references

November 2025 by Peter Wyatt

PDF/A ensures reliable long-term rendering by embedding fonts, images, and color profiles, but URLs can still appear in text, hyperlinks, bookmarks, annotations, metadata, and embedded files.

Link annotations and URI Actions define clickable destinations, but PDF/A restricts certain action types to prevent external dependencies.

Guided by clear policies, comprehensive audits of both visible and hidden references help maintain authenticity, accessibility, and long-term integrity of PDF/A documents and digital collections.

PDF/A ensures reliable long-term rendering by embedding fonts, images, and color profiles, but URLs can still appear in text, hyperlinks, bookmarks, annotations, metadata, and embedded files.

Link annotations and URI Actions define clickable destinations, but PDF/A restricts certain action types to prevent external dependencies.

Guided by clear policies, comprehensive audits of both visible and hidden references help maintain authenticity, accessibility, and long-term integrity of PDF/A documents and digital collections.

The PDF Association’s Working Groups

September 2025 by PDF Association staff
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Communities shaping the future of PDF.

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September 2025 by PDF Association staff
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We’re proud to celebrate the PDF Association members who help make ISO standards for PDF available at no cost!

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August 2025 by Jacob Mellor (Iron Software)
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This article is written from my perspective as a lifelong software engineer and current CTO who codes differently – first … Read more

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August 2025 by PDF Association staff
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For organizations that depend on trust, efficiency, and long-term information integrity, PDF Days Europe is a strategic investment.

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August 2025 by PDF Association staff
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Encoding multilingual content | The US Library of Congress recognizes individual PDF/A-4 conformance levels | “There was no book” | … Read more

PDF in the Wild

August 2025 by PDF Association staff
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In the context of the European Accessibility Act (EAA), accessible PDFs are shifting from a “nice to have” to a … Read more

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August 2025 by PDF Association staff
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The PDF Research Portal supports and encourages research into the PDF format and its broader role in modern economies.

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July 2025 by Peter Wyatt
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We were asked to investigate non-functional internal document (intra-document) hyperlinks in PDFs stored on Google Drive and viewed with Google’s … Read more

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July 2025 by PDF Association staff
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Browsers battle over PDF capabilities | ISO’s “Publicly Available Standards” page is gone | PDF to Brainrot | JHOVE update … Read more

PDF in the Wild

July 2025 by PDF Association staff
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This initial FAQ focuses on HDR in the PDF/A and PDF/X contexts, to help stakeholders understand how high dynamic range … Read more

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July 2025 by PDF Association staff
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The poster sessions are a great way to interact with each other at PDF Days Europe 2025!

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