Tools for Accessible PDF
Exposing the relationship between content and tags
All major browsers provide an “inspection” or “debugger” view that allows the user to investigate the guts of a given web page.
Historically, PDF’s internal complexity – and its nature as a binary file format – have tended to limit PDF inspector tools to the needs of highly technical users.
The use of Tagged PDF, however, makes it very important to be able to expose at least that aspect of a PDF's internal structure – together with its relationship to content on the PDF’s page.
This page lists PDF Association members’ free and commercial PDF software that exposes the relationship between a PDF’s page content and its structure tree (more commonly known as its “tags tree”).
These tools provide an on-ramp to understanding tags as demonstrated by the PDF Association’s Techniques for Accessible PDF. Please note our disclosures.
If you have recommendations for other PDF tools that can expose tagging, or wish to update the listing for your own tool, please let us know.
Commercial software
Vendor | Tool | Platform | License |
---|---|---|---|
Adobe | Acrobat Pro DC | Windows, Mac | Commercial |
Allyant | CommonLook PDF | Windows | Commercial |
axes4 | axesPDF | Windows | Commercial |
Foxit | PDF Editor + | Windows, Mac | Commercial |
GrackleDocs | Grackle PDF | Online | Commercial |
IDRsolutions | JPedal | Windows, Mac, Linux | Commercial |
PDFix | PDFix Desktop Pro | Windows, Mac, Linux | Commercial |
TargetStream Technologies | StreamEDS | Windows, Mac, Linux (Java, .NET) | Commercial |
Free / open source tools
Developer | Tool | Platform | License |
---|---|---|---|
Allyant | CommonLook PDF Validator | Windows | Free |
iText (Apryse) | RUPS | Windows, Mac, Linux (Java) | GNU Affero GPL |
axes4 | PAC | Windows | Free |
callas | PDFgoHTML | Windows, Mac | Free |
Dual Lab | PDF4WCAG | Online | Free |
Dual Lab | ngPDF | Online | Free |
GrackeDocs | Grackle GO | Online | Free |
PDFix | PDFix Desktop Lite | Windows, Mac | Free |
Request an update
Send us an email to suggest changes or to request the addition of a new tool. All tools listed on this page must already be posted to pdfa.org.
Disclosures
The above claims have not been vetted by the PDF Association. Vendors own their respective copyrights wherever they are mentioned. The information provided may be incomplete or outdated. Readers are responsible for independently verifying any and all information including licensing and suitability for purpose. Any mention of companies or products does not imply endorsement or support of any of the mentioned information, services, products, or providers. Please see each tool’s documentation for additional information.