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New Application Note Illuminates PDF’s Flexible Options for Custom Metadata

October 2025 by PDF Association staff

The PDF Association has released a new Application Note titled “Including Custom Metadata Structures in PDF.”

This document addresses the need for organizations to use custom metadata beyond standard XMP schemas in their PDF workflows. It provides guidance on designing custom metadata schemas, embedding them interoperably, best practices for versioning and extensibility, and strategies for exposing metadata to applications and tools.

The document’s objective is to enhance interoperability and efficiency by allowing custom metadata to travel seamlessly within PDF documents, eliminating the need for separate “sidecar files.”

The Note is now available on the PDF Association website.

The PDF Association has released a new Application Note titled “Including Custom Metadata Structures in PDF.”

This document addresses the need for organizations to use custom metadata beyond standard XMP schemas in their PDF workflows. It provides guidance on designing custom metadata schemas, embedding them interoperably, best practices for versioning and extensibility, and strategies for exposing metadata to applications and tools.

The document’s objective is to enhance interoperability and efficiency by allowing custom metadata to travel seamlessly within PDF documents, eliminating the need for separate “sidecar files.”

The Note is now available on the PDF Association website.

What AI should be doing with documents

February 2024 by Duff Johnson
Article


It’s time for AI integrators to help authors make semantically rich documents… and step up their game on PDF inputs.

Duff Johnson
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February 2024 by PDF Association staff
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PDF Week Online 2024 week 2 is coming up! Did you know that PDF 2.0 adds ARIA to PDF? How … Read more

PDF in the Wild

February 2024 by PDF Association staff
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All PDF Association Full and Liaison Members who have joined Technical and/or Liaison Working Groups are welcome for two weeks … Read more

PDF Association news

January 2024 by PDF Association staff
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LibreOffice now supports PDF/UA! AI LLMs’ support for PDF is substandard, and is retarding innovation. Yet more misinformation about malware. … Read more

PDF in the Wild

January 2024 by PDF Association staff
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A major focus of the PDF Association’s work is to increase awareness and adoption of standards and best practices for … Read more

Article

January 2024 by PDF Association staff
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The PDF, ICC, NITF and video datasets used in SafeDocs’ performer hackathons and evaluations are now available for download from … Read more

Article

January 2024 by PDF Association staff
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Adobe’s Standards Support Endowment, now in its sixth year, facilities administration of ISO TC 171 SC 2 and sustains the … Read more

PDF Association news

January 2024 by PDF Association staff
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Greet Melina, our dedicated Member Benefit Manager. From tailored business support to navigating communities, she’s here to amplify your membership … Read more

For members only

January 2024 by Matthias Wagner
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The PDF Association has updated its website to make content and resources easier to find. We hope you like it!

PDF Association news

December 2023 by PDF Association staff
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In 2023, the volunteers and staff of the PDF Association were busier than ever, with new working groups, resources, and … Read more

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December 2023 by PDF Association staff
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PDF Week Online 2024 consists of 16 PDF Association Working Group meetings and 2 ISO working group meetings.

PDF Association news

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