IronPDF's Expanded Support for PDF/A: A New Era for Document Archiving

As the world continues to embrace digital transformation, the need for reliable, long-term document preservation has never been greater. Whether you're handling legal documents, government records, or business archives, ensuring your digital files remain accessible and compliant with industry standards is critical. That’s why IronPDF is excited to announce expanded support for new PDF/A tiers.

What is PDF/A?

PDF/A is a specialized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) designed specifically for archiving electronic documents. It ensures that files can be reproduced exactly the same way in the future, even as technology evolves. To achieve this, PDF/A mandates that all fonts, images, metadata, and color profiles are embedded within the document. It also prohibits features that could impede long-term preservation, such as encryption and external links.

Introducing New PDF/A Tiers in IronPDF

With IronPDF’s latest release, we now support additional PDF/A tiers, including PDF/A-1A, PDF/A-1B, PDF/A-2A, PDF/A-2B, PDF/A-3A, and PDF/A-3B. These tiers ensure that users can meet various compliance requirements while maintaining the integrity and accessibility of their documents.

Our Software Engineer, Kannapat Udonpant (Benz), made this update to expand support for PDF/A-2A, 2B, and 3B. With the successful implementation of PDF/A-3, Benz leveraged this groundwork to seamlessly extend support to the PDF/A-2 variants, ensuring that IronPDF continues to meet a wide range of archiving and compliance needs with ease.

PDF/A-1A & PDF/A-1B

• PDF/A-1A focuses on ensuring that the document's structure is preserved, including accessibility features like reading order and tagging.

• PDF/A-1B, on the other hand, focuses on the visual appearance of the document, ensuring that it looks the same when reproduced in the future.

PDF/A-2A & PDF/A-2B

• PDF/A-2 builds upon the foundational principles of PDF/A-1 but introduces more advanced features. It supports JPEG 2000 for better image compression, transparency effects, and the embedding of OpenType fonts. This tier is ideal for those who require higher-quality documents while ensuring they remain compliant with archiving standards.

PDF/A-3A & PDF/A-3B

PDF/A-3 takes it a step further, allowing users to embed additional files, such as XML data or other formats, directly within the PDF/A document. This is particularly useful in industries like finance and healthcare, where combining various document formats into a single file is crucial for long-term record-keeping.

How PDF/A Works in IronPDF

With the expanded PDF/A support, IronPDF enables conversion and archiving workflows. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how IronPDF ensures compliance with PDF/A standards:

1 Validation with veraPDF Validator: After converting your document to a PDF/A format, IronPDF uses the veraPDF validator to ensure the document adheres to the PDF/A standard.

2 Failed Checks & Troubleshooting: If any part of the document fails the PDF/A validation, IronPDF helps identify the specific sections causing the issue, making it easy to troubleshoot and fix.

3 Automatic Conversion and Updates: IronPDF’s SaveAsPdfA() API automatically converts documents to PDF/A format while ensuring full compliance with the standard.

4 Clear Feedback: The system provides clear indicators—GREEN means good—to confirm when your document has been successfully converted and validated as a compliant PDF/A.

IronPDF: The Right Tool for Secure Document Archiving

IronPDF continues to lead the way in PDF archiving technology, now offering even more robust options for your document management needs. With the addition of these PDF/A tiers, we’re giving you the tools to manage your digital archives with confidence—whether you’re preserving legal documents, patient records, or financial statements.

Ready to future-proof your document management? Explore IronPDF today and experience the power of PDF/A compliance.