PDF to PDF/A
Convert any PDF to ISO-compliant PDF/A for long-term archiving — choose PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b, set metadata, validate compliance and download instantly. 100% in-browser — no upload.
ISO 19005 Compliant
PDF/A-1b · 2b · 3b
Metadata Editor
Compliance Check
No Upload
Drop a PDF here or click to browse
Convert to PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b for archiving and long-term preservation
📄 PDF → 🗃️ PDF/A (ISO 19005)document.pdf
PDF/A Standard
Conversion
Metadata
Choose PDF/A Conformance Level
PDF/A-1b
Level 1 — Basic
ISO 19005-1. Widest compatibility. Embeds fonts, bans encryption & transparency.
PDF/A-2b
Level 2 — Standard
ISO 19005-2. Supports JPEG2000, transparency, layers and digital signatures.
PDF/A-3b
Level 3 — Extended
ISO 19005-3. All PDF/A-2 features + allows any file type as attachment.
Conformance Part
PDF/A-2b Requirements Applied
Font embedding metadata written to XMP stream
PDF/A OutputIntent with sRGB ICC colour profile injected
XMP conformance metadata (pdfaid:part + pdfaid:conformance) set
Creation and modification dates normalised to ISO 8601
Document info dictionary synchronised with XMP metadata
Conversion Settings
Embed XMP Metadata
Required for PDF/A compliance
sRGB ICC Profile
Inject colour output intent
Sync Info Dict
Mirror XMP to doc info
Normalise Dates
Convert to ISO 8601 format
Remove JavaScript
Strip JS actions (required)
Remove Encryption
PDF/A cannot be encrypted
💡 The XMP metadata embed is mandatory for PDF/A compliance and cannot be disabled. All other options are applied automatically to maximise archival validity.
Document Metadata (XMP + Info Dictionary)
Pre-Conversion Analysis
Analysing…
Converting to PDF/A…
PDF to PDF/A
Upload a PDF, choose your ISO conformance level, configure metadata and download the archival-ready PDF/A — 100% in your browser, nothing uploaded.
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Pages
2b
Target Level
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Standard
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Pages
—
Size
Compliance Checks Applied
XMP Metadata✓ Embedded
pdfaid:part✓ Set
ICC Output Intent✓ sRGB
Info Dict Sync✓ Done
JS / Encryption✓ Removed
Three ISO levels — PDF/A-1b for maximum compatibility, PDF/A-2b for modern features, PDF/A-3b for embedded attachments.
XMP + metadata — Injects pdfaid:part, pdfaid:conformance, sRGB ICC OutputIntent and syncs the Info dictionary — all required for ISO 19005 compliance.
100% private — PDF-lib.js processes everything locally in your browser. Your PDF is never sent to any server at any point.
How to Convert PDF to PDF/A
1
Upload PDF
Drop or click to upload your PDF. The tool analyses it and shows a pre-conversion compliance report.
2
Choose Level
Select PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b and the conformance part (b, u or a) that matches your archive requirements.
3
Set Metadata
Optionally fill in title, author, subject and keywords — these are written to both the XMP stream and the Info dictionary.
4
Download
Click Convert — PDF-lib embeds the XMP conformance data, ICC profile and metadata, then downloads your PDF/A instantly.
PDF/A Conformance Levels
| Standard | ISO Spec | Part | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDF/A-1b | ISO 19005-1 | b — Basic | Font embedding, no encryption, no transparency, no audio/video, no JS | Legal, government, maximum reader compatibility |
| PDF/A-1a | ISO 19005-1 | a — Accessible | All of 1b + logical structure, tagged PDF, Unicode text map required | Accessibility-first archiving, screen reader support |
| PDF/A-2b | ISO 19005-2 | b — Basic | JPEG2000, transparency, layers (OCGs), digital signatures, PDF 1.7 | Modern documents, scanned archives, signed contracts |
| PDF/A-2u | ISO 19005-2 | u — Unicode | All of 2b + all text must be Unicode-mappable for searching | Searchable archives, text extraction, e-discovery |
| PDF/A-3b | ISO 19005-3 | b — Basic | All of 2b + attach any file type (XML, CSV, XLSX…) as embedded file | E-invoicing (ZUGFeRD, Factur-X), mixed-format records |
| PDF/A-3a | ISO 19005-3 | a — Accessible | All of 3b + tagged structure + Unicode text + full accessibility | Fully accessible archival e-invoices and structured docs |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PDF/A and why do I need it?
PDF/A (ISO 19005) is a version of PDF designed for long-term archiving. Unlike regular PDF, it bans features that rely on external resources (fonts, colour profiles, JavaScript, encryption) and instead requires everything needed to render the document to be embedded directly inside the file — guaranteeing it can be reliably reproduced in 100+ years.
Which PDF/A level should I choose?
Choose PDF/A-1b for maximum compatibility with older viewers and strict legal archives. Choose PDF/A-2b for modern documents that use transparency or JPEG2000 images. Choose PDF/A-3b if you need to embed attachments (e.g. XML invoices for ZUGFeRD / Factur-X). When in doubt, PDF/A-2b is the safest general-purpose choice.
What does this tool actually change in my PDF?
It injects a conformance XMP stream (pdfaid:part + pdfaid:conformance), adds an sRGB ICC colour OutputIntent, synchronises the Info dictionary with XMP metadata, normalises dates to ISO 8601, and optionally removes JavaScript actions and encryption — all required for ISO 19005 compliance. Page content is not modified.
Will my PDF pass a strict PDF/A validator?
This tool applies the conformance metadata, ICC profile and info-dict sync that most validators check. However, a full ISO 19005 pass also requires all fonts to be embedded in the original PDF. If your source PDF has unembedded fonts, a strict validator such as veraPDF may still flag issues — those require the original font files to fix properly.
What is an XMP stream and why is it required?
XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) is an XML-based metadata format embedded directly in the PDF file. PDF/A mandates a specific XMP stream containing the pdfaid:part (1, 2 or 3) and pdfaid:conformance (a, b or u) properties. Without this stream the document cannot be identified as PDF/A by any conformance checker.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
Never. PDF-lib.js runs entirely in your browser — it reads the PDF locally, injects the conformance data in memory, and triggers a local download. No bytes are sent to any server at any point. Your document remains completely private on your device.
No upload · No server · PDF-lib.js in-browser · ISO 19005 Conformance · Free forever · Pdf Pixy