Long-term archiving: a good read about PDF/A

What’s the deal with PDF/A?

Originally designated PDF/A-1, this standardized version of the conventional PDF format was established as the international standard ISO 19005-1 in late 2005 and has been available as an ISO standard in its extended versions PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 since July 2011 and October 2012 respectively. Since that time, and for a great many businesses, the PDF/A format has provided a basis for long-term archiving that is as uncomplicated as it is secure. The unbeatable advantage of this file format is that the documents themselves contain all the elements needed for reproduction.

“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About PDF/A …” is the English translation of the title of an article worth reading in the German online magazine eGovernment Computing. The authors, Olaf Drümmer and Gerald Viola, take an in-depth look at the job of long-term archiving in the public sector and the critical role that the PDF/A format plays in it. The bottom line: Due to its reliable and universal applicability, the PDF/A format is rapidly gaining acceptance in government agencies and has become an indispensable tool for the long-term archiving of files in a manner that maintains their original integrity and authenticity. The article also includes a number of practical examples that illustrate the enormous benefits of using this format.

webPDF from SoftVision lets you directly convert electronic documents to the PDF/A format. And it can be used as the ideal gateway to the long-term archives, because it gives you the option of validating any PDF document against the PDF/A standard. This is one way that this tool can help ensure that your archiving is done correctly and in accordance with the ISO-19005 standard at all times.