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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!

The business value of PDF/Raster (PDF/R) for ISVs

March 2025 by Erin Dempsey (TWAIN Working Group)
Article


This article explores how ISVs can use PDF/R to improve imaging application software’s efficiency, reduce development complexity, and enhance customer satisfaction.

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March 2025 by PDF Association staff
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The PDF Association will host a trio of PDF technology events in Berlin from September 11-19. Save the date… and … Read more

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February 2025 by PDF Association staff
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The new TWG will explore topics such as verifiable credentials, digital signatures, modern cryptography and content provenance frameworks in alignment … Read more

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February 2025 by PDF Association staff
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These free XMP Extension Schema templates support PDF documents that conform to multiple subset standards, including PDF/A, PDF/X, PDF/VT, and … Read more

PDF Association news

February 2025 by Peter Wyatt
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Google’s Jpegli promises smaller JPEG images (and so, smaller PDF files) with no change to reader software! Check it out … Read more

Article

February 2025 by PDF Association
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PDF Week Boston 2025 is the first of two members-only events in 2025 focused on PDF technology specifications and standards … Read more

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February 2025 by PDF Association staff
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PDF bookmarks from Google Chrome? | What does “PDF” mean to you? | Two reasons why everyone needs PDF | … Read more

PDF in the Wild

February 2025 by PDF Association staff
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Organizations worldwide rely on email at almost every level of daily operations, but lack options for effectively preserving and accessing … Read more

PDF Association news

January 2025 by PDF Association staff
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Adobe, a Partner member of the PDF Association, has renewed its Standards Support Endowment for 2025, marking the 7th year … Read more

PDF Association news

January 2025 by Peter Wyatt
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What’s the smallest possible fully compliant and validatable PDF file? We set out to answer the question.

Article

January 2025 by PDF Association staff
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Doom in a PDF | PDF Week Boston 2025 | The EAA is coming! | AI and accessibility standards | … Read more

PDF in the Wild

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