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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.

French version of “PDF/A in a Nutshell 2.0” available

December 2014 by Alexandra Oettler
News


PDF/A l’essentiel 2.0 – PDF pour l’archivage a? long terme is the french translation of PDF/A in a Nutshell 2.0. You can read the brochure online or download a free … Read more

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November 2014 by Duff Johnson
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The VeraPDF consortium, which includes the PDF Association as a lead partner, has been awarded the PREFORMA first phase design … Read more

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November 2014 by PDF Association staff
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PDF is the big gun in the war on paper. It’s time the ECM industry gave up its TIFF based … Read more

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November 2014 by Duff Johnson
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The Document Imaging Report covers PDF Day and talks about support for PDF in the ECM marketplace.

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November 2014 by PDF Association staff
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With the PDF Days, taking place in the USA for the first time, the PDF Association is offering IT executives … Read more

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November 2014 by PDF Association staff
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As a fixed-format electronic record PDF has no real competition, but few law-firms systematically leverage PDF to reduce risks and … Read more

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November 2014 by PDF Association staff
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Although they are utterly reliant on PDF, modern financial services institutions still leverage only the most rudimentary fraction of PDF’s … Read more

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October 2014 by PDF Association staff
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Mere publication of a specification doesn’t make a standard: it takes a community. Of course, it also helps if the … Read more

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October 2014 by PDF Association staff
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Government requirements for electronic documents include considerations most businesses don’t need to address. From long-term archivability to accessibility, authenticity, redaction … Read more

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October 2014 by PDF Association staff
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At PDF Day in Washington DC and New York City, CIOs will get the information they need about PDF/A-3, the … Read more

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October 2014 by PDF Association staff
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PDF Day brings CIOs together to learn how PDF support for digital signatures, automated invoicing, online collaboration and accessibility take … Read more

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