How Do You Convert a PDF to PDF/A?
You convert a PDF to PDF/A by adding it to QuickCatPDF's PDF to PDF/A converter, choosing PDF/A-2b, 1b or 3b, and clicking Convert to PDF/A. Every font is embedded, a colour profile is added and the file is marked as PDF/A, so it opens the same way in decades to come.
You then see a checklist of the PDF/A rules the new file passes. It's free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
How to Convert PDF to PDF/A With QuickCatPDF
Converting to PDF/A takes four steps.
- Click Select PDF files or drop your PDFs on the page (up to 20).
- Choose the PDF/A version: 2b suits most uses.
- Keep colour, or choose Greyscale if the archive asks for it.
- Click Convert to PDF/A, check the list of passed checks, then download.
What Is PDF/A, and Which Version Do I Need?
PDF/A is the archival PDF standard (ISO 19005). A PDF/A file contains everything needed to display it: fonts, colours and metadata, with nothing that depends on outside files, scripts or encryption. Courts, government records offices, universities (for a thesis) and many companies ask for it.
| Version | Based on | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| PDF/A-2b | PDF 1.7 | Most uses: keeps transparency, layers and compression; the usual choice for records and a thesis |
| PDF/A-1b | PDF 1.4 | The receiver asks for the oldest version; transparency isn't allowed |
| PDF/A-3b | PDF 1.7 | You'll attach other files (such as an invoice's data) later |
The "b" means the file is guaranteed to look the same. If the receiver doesn't say which version, choose PDF/A-2b.
What Does the Converter Change?
QuickCatPDF uses Ghostscript, a long-established PDF engine, on our server. Fonts that weren't embedded are embedded (or replaced with matching ones), an sRGB colour profile is added, the PDF/A identification is written into the metadata, and links are kept but set to print, as PDF/A requires.
In our test, a 2-page contract with fonts that weren't embedded, a half-transparent box and a link became a PDF/A-2b file in about 0.6 seconds, at 13 KB. Our checklist passed every item, and the link was still there.
PDF/A-1b doesn't allow transparency, so pages with see-through effects are turned into a picture. In the same test that took about 3 seconds, and the result said that one page had become a picture and its text could no longer be selected. That's why PDF/A-2b is the default.
Is the Checklist an Official Validation?
No. The checklist covers the main PDF/A rules: identification, colour profile, embedded fonts, no encryption, no JavaScript, printable links and, for PDF/A-1b, no transparency. For a formal certificate, open the file in a dedicated PDF/A validator.
Several documents can be combined before archiving with merge PDF, and Excel workbooks become PDFs first on Excel to PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PDF to PDF/A converter free?
Yes, free with no sign-up and no watermark. There's a fair-use limit of 60 files an hour.
Is my PDF kept on your server?
No, it's sent over HTTPS, converted and deleted right after conversion, and never kept more than 1 hour. File names aren't stored.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF?
Not directly: PDF/A files can't be encrypted. Remove the password in your PDF program first, then convert.
Does PDF/A make the text accessible?
PDF/A-2b and 3b keep the text, so it can still be searched and copied, but they don't add accessibility tags. Scanned pages stay pictures; make them searchable first with Image to Searchable PDF.
Can I make a PDF/A from a Word file?
Yes, convert it with Word to PDF, then convert that PDF here. Other formats are on the PDF Converter.
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