How to convert PDF to PDF/A

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Converting a PDF file to a  PDF/A file is an operation that ensures its validity and integrity over the years. The PDF/A format was created specifically for long-term archiving. This format ensures that the file will always be opened and displayed in the same way, regardless of the program used, remaining faithful to its original formatting.

Making this conversion is very simple, especially thanks to the various online tools and dedicated programs. So let’s see what are the best services to convert PDF files to PDF/A format.

Index

The best online tools

DOCUPUB

It is one of the best online tools for this type of conversion. It offers us the possibility to convert our file in PDF/A format and in other formats such as PNG or JPEG. It is completely free and does not require any installation of various programs. The only flaw is the 10 MB upload limit for each file to be converted. Obviously, these solutions are to be preferred when we have an internet connection.

Using this online tool is really simple.

  1. Let’s go on the official website by clicking on this link;
  2. Click on the Choose File item;
  3. In the Output format drop-down menu, choose the PDF/A option;
  4. Click on Upload & Convert;
  5. Once the conversion is complete, click on the link to download the converted file.

Once this is done, we will have our PDF file converted to PDF/A format.

The best dedicated programs

LibreOffice

This is the free suite that has been competing for years with the renowned Microsoft Office suite. Many do not know that it allows us to make file conversions in PDF format. Let’s see how to exploit LibreOffice to convert PDF files to PDF/A format.

  1. We open LibreOffice;
  2. Click on the item Open file and select the file to convert;
  3. Click on the File menu;
  4. Click on Export in PDF format;
  5. In the new window, move to the General tab;
  6. Let’s check the option Filing PDF/A -1a (ISO 19005-1);
  7. Click on the Export option;
  8. Finally we choose where to save the converted file and click on Save.

We can download the LibreOffice suite by going to the official website.

PDFCreator

This program is completely free and is aimed at users who own a PC with Windows operating system. It allows us to convert any PDF file to PDF/A format, in order to have long-term preservation. The software can be downloaded for free from this link and the conversion procedure is really simple.

  1. We open PDFCreator;
  2. Click on Choose a file to convert;
  3. We choose the desired file;
  4. In the new screen rename the file and choose the path in which to save it;
  5. In the Profile drop-down menu, choose the PDF/A (long-term retention) option;
  6. It is possible to fill in some secondary fields, such as the title and the author;
  7. Finally, click on the Save item.

Once this is done, the file we choose will be converted to the desired format. In addition, the software allows us to convert the PDF file to other formats, such as JPEG, PNG or TIFF.

Conclusions

As we have seen it is really a breeze to convert PDF to PDF/A. We can use practical online tools or programs such as LibreOffice and PDFCreator. The methods we have proposed in this article are the best with regard to ease of use and quality of the results produced.

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