PDF VS PDF/A: What is the Difference and Why it Matters

Posted on: February 21, 2023 @ 12:03 am

Electronic documents can be preserved by PDF/A, which is a subset of PDF (Portable Document Format).

The “A” in PDF/A stands for “Archival,” indicating its primary purpose of creating a standardized format that ensures the long-term preservation and accessibility of electronic documents.

PDF/A is particularly useful for businesses and organizations that need to store and retrieve documents for extended periods, such as legal or financial documents, medical records, and government records.

One of the key differences between PDF and PDF/A is that PDF/A is designed to be self-contained and self-describing, meaning that it includes all the information necessary to render the document correctly without relying on external resources like fonts, color profiles, or linked files.

The ability above helps to ensure that the document will remain readable and usable even if the software or systems used to create or view the document become obsolete.

Another key difference is that PDF/A restricts certain features and capabilities of PDF, such as multimedia content, encryption, and interactive forms.

These restrictions help to ensure that the document will remain accessible and usable even as technology changes over time.

We will extend the differences mentioned in the article’s next part.

Stay with us if you want to know more about “PDF vs. PDF/A: what is the difference and why it matters.”

What is the Difference Between PDF & PDF/A?

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a widely used file format for digital documents. It was developed by Adobe Systems in the early 1990s and has become the standard format for distributing and sharing documents in a way that ensures they look the same on any device or operating system.

PDF files can contain text, images, hyperlinks, and other interactive elements and can be created from a wide range of software applications.

PDF/A is a variant of the PDF format explicitly designed for the long-term archiving and preservation of electronic documents.

PDF/A was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2005 and is intended to ensure that PDF files remain readable and usable for many years.

Several differences between PDF and PDF/A are worth noting:

Technical Specifications

The technical specifications of PDF and PDF/A are different. While PDF is designed to be a flexible and extensible format, PDF/A is intended to be self-contained and self-sufficient.

PDF/A documents are required to meet certain technical specifications, such as embedding fonts, defining the color space, and avoiding using certain interactive features that may not be supported by future software.

This ensures that PDF/A documents will be readable and usable in the future, even if the software used to create them is no longer available.

Document Preservation

PDF/A is specifically designed for a long time to document conservation. PDF documents are only sometimes designed with preservation in mind and may include features or content that could cause problems for future users.

PDF/A, on the other hand, is designed to ensure that documents can be preserved for many years with minimal data loss or corruption risk.

Legal Acceptance

PDF/A has been widely adopted by governments, courts, and other organizations as a preferred format for archiving and preserving electronic documents.

Some legal systems require that electronic documents be stored in a format that meets certain technical specifications, and PDF/A is often the format of choice.

File Size

PDF/A files tend to be larger than regular PDF files, as they contain additional metadata and embedded resources required for long-term preservation.

This can make PDF/A files more difficult to store and transmit, especially for large documents.

Why is PDF/A Important?

As we mentioned, PDF/A is a file format for archiving and preserving electronic documents.

It is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It is designed to ensure that electronic documents remain accessible and readable over time, regardless of the software or hardware used to create or view them.

There are several reasons why PDF/A is essential and matters a lot:

• First, PDF/A ensures that electronic documents can be archived and preserved for the long term. Electronic documents are increasingly being used as a substitute for paper documents, but they can be vulnerable to degradation or loss over time.

PDF/A provides a standardized format that can be used to store electronic documents, making it possible to preserve them for future generations.

• Second, PDF/A ensures that electronic documents can be read and accessed over time. As technology advances, software and hardware become outdated and may no longer be able to read specific file formats.

PDF/A is designed to be independent of specific software or hardware, meaning that documents saved in this format can be accessed and read by future generations, regardless of technological changes.

• Third, PDF/A provides a consistent way of handling fonts and colors, ensuring that documents look the same regardless of where or when they are viewed.

This is important for legal or regulatory documents, where consistency and accuracy are essential.

• Fourth, PDF/A ensures that documents can be searched and indexed, making it easier to find and retrieve specific information.

This is important for extensive archives or repositories of electronic documents, where quick and efficient searching is essential.

• Finally, PDF/A is an open standard, meaning that it is not owned or controlled by any single company or organization.

This promotes interoperability and makes it easier for different software programs and systems to work together, ensuring that electronic documents can be shared and accessed across other platforms.

In Closing,

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At the end of our discussion about PDF vs. PDF/A: what is the difference and why it matters let’s have a little review for you.

PDF/A is a secure and standardized format created to preserve and archive electronic documents for extended periods.

It offers many advantages over traditional paper-based documents, including its reliability, accessibility, and usability for future generations.

While PDF and PDF/A share many similarities, they serve different purposes. PDF is a flexible and widely used format for digital documents, while PDF/A is optimized for document preservation and has specific technical specifications and legal acceptance.

Despite the potential for larger file sizes, PDF/A’s standardized format ensures consistency and accuracy, making it easier to search and retrieve information. As electronic documents become increasingly crucial in our daily lives, PDF/A will continue to play a critical role in preserving our digital heritage.

Do you have any data about the PDF and PDF/A? Did you know the difference and why they matter?

Please share your additional data in the comment section.