PDF to PDF/A
Meet archive and court e-filing rules: get a PDF/A file and a clear list of everything that was fixed along the way.
- Files never leave your device
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- No watermark
- Works offline after first load
or drag & drop PDFs to archive
How to convert a PDF to PDF/A
- Select or drop one or more PDFs. Each is checked and the panel lists what it needs for PDF/A — fonts that aren’t embedded, a missing colour profile, scripts, form fields and more.
- Choose the standard: PDF/A-2b (recommended), PDF/A-1b if a system asks for it, or PDF/A-3b to keep attached files. Leave the fixes ticked.
- Click Convert to PDF/A and download the archive-ready files (several come as a ZIP).
About PDF to PDF/A
Convert a PDF to PDF/A, the ISO standard for long-term archiving that courts, tax offices and archives ask for. Each file is checked first and the panel shows what it needs: fonts that aren’t embedded, a missing colour profile, scripts, attached files, CMYK colours, form fields and comments, and the PDF/A identification.
The converter then fixes them: fonts are embedded from metric-compatible free fonts so nothing moves, an sRGB colour profile and matching metadata are added, scripts and forbidden actions are removed, and form fields and comments are drawn into the page. Choose PDF/A-1b, 2b or 3b, convert several files at once — nothing is uploaded.
Good for
- E-filing with courts and government portals
- Archiving contracts, invoices and records
- Submitting theses and reports that must be PDF/A
Tip: If you’re not told which version to use, choose PDF/A-2b — it is accepted almost everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
What is PDF/A?
PDF/A is the ISO standard for archiving documents. A PDF/A file contains everything it needs to look the same in decades — its fonts, a colour profile and its metadata — and nothing that could change or break it, such as scripts, links to outside files or encryption. Courts, tax offices, universities and archives often ask for it.
Which PDF/A version should I choose?
PDF/A-2b suits almost every use and is the default. Choose PDF/A-1b only if a system asks for that version — it is stricter and doesn’t allow transparency. PDF/A-3b is like 2b but may contain attached files, which some e-invoice formats need.
What does the converter change?
It unlocks restriction-protected files, removes JavaScript and other forbidden actions, draws form fields and comments into the page, embeds fonts that were only named in the file, turns CMYK colours into RGB, and adds an sRGB colour profile and PDF/A metadata. The file is then rewritten cleanly with a document ID.
How are missing fonts embedded?
Many PDFs only name standard fonts such as Helvetica, Arial, Times or Courier without including them. These are embedded from the free Liberation fonts, which have exactly the same letter widths, so the layout doesn’t move. Only the characters a PDF can use are included, to keep the file small.
What if a page can’t be made compliant?
If a page uses a font that isn’t standard and isn’t embedded (or transparency in PDF/A-1), that page can be turned into an image with its text kept searchable, so the whole file complies. You can switch this off to be told instead.
Is the result a certified PDF/A?
The converter fixes the problems that usually stop a PDF from being PDF/A and checks the result against the main rules. For an official validation report, open the file in a validator such as veraPDF.
Do my documents leave my computer?
No. Checking and converting happen in your browser, so the files are never uploaded.