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Check your PDF/A online
PDF/A is the format universities, public bodies and archives ask for when a document has to last. Upload your file: in seconds you know whether it is compliant and, if it is not, exactly what makes it fail.
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Note: we check conformance to the ISO 19005 (PDF/A) standard. Each university may require a specific level.
What PDF/A actually is
PDF/A is the “archivable” version of PDF, defined by the international standard ISO 19005. It exists to solve a concrete problem: a normal PDF can point to resources that live outside the file (a font installed on your computer, a remote image, a script), and ten years from now those resources may be gone or may behave differently. The document would no longer open the way it was written.
To prevent that, PDF/A imposes three basic rules: everything needed must live inside the file (starting with fonts, which must be embedded), nothing that changes over time (JavaScript, multimedia, links to external files), and colour must be declared with a profile, because the same RGB value on two different screens is not the same colour.
The versions: PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2, PDF/A-3
Three generations of the same standard, each slightly more permissive than the last. The trailing letter marks the conformance level instead.
- PDF/A-1 (2005) is the strictest: no transparency, no layers. It is still the standard required by many public-administration filings.
- PDF/A-2 (2011) allows transparency, layers and JPEG2000 compression. It is the most common choice today, and the one many universities ask for.
- PDF/A-3 (2012) lets you attach files of any type to the document. It is the version used by Italian electronic invoicing.
- Level “b” (basic) guarantees the document always looks the same over time. Level “a” (accessible) adds semantic structure and tags for accessibility: harder to achieve and rarely requested.
In practice the levels almost always asked for are PDF/A-1b and PDF/A-2b.
Why a perfect-looking PDF fails the check
It is the question we get most often at the counter, usually the day before a deadline. The answer is that almost every violation is invisible on screen: the file opens, reads and prints perfectly, and meanwhile it breaks the standard. These are the real causes, in order of frequency.
- Fonts not embedded. By far the most common. The document uses a typeface that exists on your computer but not inside the file. It happens constantly with system fonts and third-party ones.
- Colour with no profile. RGB images and CMYK graphics mixed together without a declared ICC profile: the standard has no way to interpret them.
- Transparency in a file claiming PDF/A-1. It almost always comes from a logo or a chart exported from a design application.
- Active elements: JavaScript, fillable forms, links to external files, audio or video content.
- Encryption or passwords, even one that only prevents printing. PDF/A allows no protection.
- Inconsistent metadata: the file claims a PDF/A level that its content does not match. Typical of files converted twice with different tools.
The tool above does not just say yes or no: it lists the violations it finds, so you know what to fix before regenerating the file.
When PDF/A is required
- Graduation thesis submission. Almost every Italian university requires the upload in PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b. The exact level is in your programme's submission rules.
- Italian Revenue Agency filings. Several services accept attachments in PDF/A only, and the check happens at submission time.
- Business registry and chambers of commerce. Financial statements, minutes and deeds must be filed in PDF/A: one of the contexts where the standard has been mandatory the longest.
- Long-term legal archiving. Documents a public body must keep by law are created in PDF/A precisely to stay readable over time.
- Electronic invoicing with attachments, which uses PDF/A-3.
If the file is not compliant
In most cases you do not need to redo the document: re-export it with the right option from the program you wrote it in, then check it again here. In Word the path is Save As → PDF → Options → “PDF/A compliant”; in LibreOffice it is File → Export as PDF → “PDF/A archive”. Automatic export is not always enough, though, especially when fonts are the problem: the full walkthrough, with the Mac and Acrobat variants, is in our guide on converting a PDF to PDF/A.
If you are preparing a thesis in Rome and the portal keeps rejecting your file the day before the deadline, you can also drop by the shop in Prati: we will look at it together and fix it on the spot.
Frequently asked questions about PDF/A
How can I tell whether a PDF is already PDF/A?
You usually cannot tell by opening it: some readers show a “this file claims compliance with PDF/A” bar, but it only appears in certain versions and never tells you the level. The only reliable way is to run it through a validator like the one above, which reads the internal structure of the file and reports every violation.
Which PDF/A level do I need?
For thesis submission almost every university asks for PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b, and the level is stated in the submission rules. For Italian tax and business-registry filings the reference standard is usually PDF/A-1b. Our tool checks compliance with the ISO 19005 standard (PDF/A-2b, with a 1b check as fallback).
Why does the check fail even if the PDF looks perfect?
Because almost every violation is invisible on screen. The two we see most often at the counter are fonts not embedded in the file and mixed RGB/CMYK colours with no declared profile: the document looks fine on your computer, but it breaks the standard and whoever receives it can reject it.
Is my file stored or read by anyone?
No. The check is automatic and ephemeral: the PDF is deleted right after validation, with no storage and nobody opening it.
What is the difference between PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3?
They are three generations of the same standard, each more permissive than the last. PDF/A-1 (2005) is the strictest and allows no transparency. PDF/A-2 (2011) accepts transparency, layers and JPEG2000 compression. PDF/A-3 (2012) lets you attach files of any type, and is the one used by Italian electronic invoicing. The trailing letter is the conformance level: “b” guarantees visual appearance, “a” adds semantic structure for accessibility.
Does the check work for documents other than a thesis?
Yes: the tool validates the file against the standard, whatever the content is. Students use it for thesis submission, but so do people preparing documents for tax filings, for the business registry or for long-term archiving.
Do I need PDF/A for the printed copy too?
No: PDF/A is only for digital submission. A regular PDF is perfectly fine for printing, and we can print and bind your thesis from the same file.