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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.

Save the Date for PDF Days Europe 2022!

February 2022 by PDF Association staff
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Set aside September 12-13 2022 for PDF Days Europe 2022, in-person in Berlin and live-streamed online! PDF developers should consider the Deep Technical Workshop with Peter Wyatt, Sept. 8-9.

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February 2022 by Duff Johnson
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This Global Information Governance Day it’s time to focus on how better PDF = better IG. #GIGD

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February 2022 by Is the role of encryption key for information governance?
Computer storage devices and a shield.

It is essential to understand that with long term storage secure formats does not in themselves prevent user error or … Read more

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February 2022 by PDF Association staff
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The Standards Support Endowment supplements PDF Association membership dues to support administration of ISO TC 171 SC 2 and the … Read more

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January 2022 by PDF Association staff
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The latest veraPDF adds support for PDF/A-4, the archival subset specification for PDF 2.0.

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January 2022 by Carsten Luedtge (Compart GmbH)
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In fact, it’s about up-valuing content and documents to intelligent information media. In the final analysis, data is the raw … Read more

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January 2022 by Peter Wyatt
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PDF Association’s CTO, Peter Wyatt discusses text strings in PDF.

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December 2021 by PDF Association staff
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This summary recalls developments in 2021 and looks forward to PDF Association activities in 2022.

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December 2021 by PDF Association staff
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The PDF Association now hosts 3D PDF demonstration files provided by PDF Association members.

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November 2021 by PDF Association staff
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Support PDF standards development; buy your ISO standards from the PDF Association! Members even get a discount!

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November 2021 by Carsten Luedtge (Compart GmbH)
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Key performance indicator (KPI) systems must also be strictly oriented to the strategic corporate goals in document and output management … Read more

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