PDF to PDF/A
Convert to PDF/A for long-term archiving
Drag & drop your file here
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Max file size: 20MB
pdfty's PDF/A converter transforms a regular PDF into PDF/A — the ISO 19005 standard for long-term archiving. PDF/A guarantees the document is self-contained: all fonts embedded, colors device-independent, no external dependencies — so it renders identically in 20 years, on software that doesn't exist yet.
Many institutions don't just recommend PDF/A, they require it: courts for e-filing, government agencies, universities for thesis submission, and regulated industries for records retention. Conversion runs on Ghostscript, the reference-grade engine for this job: it embeds every font, converts colors to calibrated spaces, and writes the required XMP metadata to produce standards-conformant PDF/A-2b output — the variant most institutions ask for.
Free for files up to 20 MB and 50 pages — no watermark, no signup. Files are uploaded over HTTPS and permanently deleted within 1 hour. Pro ($9/mo) lifts the limits for large archives and adds batch conversion.
How it works
- 1
Upload your PDF
Drag and drop or click to select. Up to 20 MB and 50 pages free.
- 2
Convert
Ghostscript embeds fonts, normalizes colors, and writes PDF/A metadata. Usually under 15 seconds.
- 3
Download the PDF/A
The output is PDF/A-2b, the archival variant most institutions require.
- 4
Validate if required
For strict submissions, verify with a validator such as veraPDF — most portals accept our output directly.
- 5
Done in 1 hour
Your original and the converted file are deleted from our servers within 1 hour.
