PDF to PDF/A
PDF/A is an ISO archival standard with strict requirements. This page explains honestly why we do not offer a browser-based converter, rather than producing a file that merely claims compliance.
This tool is not offered as a converter. The section below explains exactly why, and which validated tools to use instead.
What PDF/A actually requires
PDF/A (ISO 19005) is an archival profile. A conforming file must:
- Embed a complete subset of every font used, including all glyphs referenced.
- Express all colour in a device-independent space with an embedded ICC output intent.
- Contain no JavaScript, no encryption, no audio or video, and no external references.
- Carry conformant XMP metadata declaring the exact PDF/A part and level.
- Pass validation against the standard, not merely assert compliance in its metadata.
Writing the metadata is easy; meeting the other conditions in a browser is not. A tool that stamped the declaration without embedding fonts and colour profiles would produce files that fail validation — and that failure typically surfaces years later, during an audit, when the original source document may be long gone.
What to use instead
- Ghostscript —
-dPDFA=2 -dPDFACompatibilityPolicy=1with a colour profile. - LibreOffice — File › Export as PDF › Archive (PDF/A).
- veraPDF — free, open-source validator. Always verify before archiving.
Everything else on this site runs in your browser. This page is the one place where we point you elsewhere, because doing it properly matters more than doing it here.
How to pdf to pdf/a
Step 1
Read the requirements below to understand what PDF/A actually demands.
Step 2
Choose a validated desktop or server tool such as Ghostscript, LibreOffice or veraPDF.
Step 3
Validate the output with veraPDF before archiving it.
Why use IlikePDF?
Your files stay with you
Tools marked as browser-based read your document locally. There is no upload step, no server-side storage and no account.
No signup, no watermarks
Every tool is free to use and adds nothing to your document that you didn't ask for.
Honest about limits
Where a conversion can't be perfect in a browser, we say so on the page instead of shipping a file that quietly loses your formatting.
Works on your phone
The interface is built for small screens as well as desktop, so you can fix a document wherever you are.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't this implemented?
Genuine PDF/A requires embedding complete font subsets for every glyph used, converting all colour to a device-independent space with an embedded ICC profile, stripping JavaScript, encryption and external references, and writing conformant XMP metadata. Producing a file that says PDF/A without meeting those conditions would fail validation and could put an archive at risk.
What should I use instead?
Ghostscript's PDF/A output device, LibreOffice's PDF/A export, or a dedicated archival tool. Validate the result with veraPDF, which is free and open source.
Will this be added later?
Only if it can be done correctly. A converter that fails validation is worse than no converter, because the failure surfaces years later when the archive is audited.