PDF Association: ten myths about PDF/A

A good read: PDF Association clears the air

For many businesses, the PDF/A format provides the ideal basis for long-term archiving that is as uncomplicated as it is secure. 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. The big advantage of this format is that it guarantees reliable reproduction over time regardless of the application or system that was used to create the file.

Nevertheless, many myths still surround the PDF/A format which purport to highlight several disadvantages. The PDF Association has compiled a list of the Top Ten Myths about PDF/A in dispel these myths and set the record straight, including the claims that unlike the TIFF format, PDF and PDF/A are neither secured against alteration nor compliant with auditing requirements, or that PDF/A cannot support metadata or compression. The PDF Association also debunks the assertion that PDF/A is too expensive. Definitely worth reading!

Electronic documents can be converted easily to PDF/A format with webPDF. Not only does webPDF give you the option of validating any PDF document against the PDF/A standard, it can also be installed and used as the ideal gateway to your long-term archives. These are just a few of the ways that this remarkable tool can help ensure that your archiving is done properly and in accordance with the ISO-19005 standard at all times.