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Documentation Index

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PDF/A is an ISO standard (ISO 19005) for long-term document preservation. It ensures that a PDF is self-contained: all fonts are embedded, colors are device-independent, and no external dependencies exist. PDF/A is required in legal filings, government records, regulatory submissions, medical records, and any context where documents must remain readable decades from now.

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Enabling PDF/A

Add the pdfa prop to your Document component with the desired conformance level: 
<Document pdfa="2b" title="Contract Agreement" author="Legal Dept">
  <Page size="A4" margin={54}>
    <Text style={{ fontSize: 24, fontWeight: 700 }}>Service Agreement</Text>
    <Text style={{ fontSize: 10, lineHeight: 1.6 }}>
      This document is PDF/A-2b compliant for long-term archival.
    </Text>
  </Page>
</Document>

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Supported Levels

Forme supports two PDF/A conformance levels:
LevelStandardDescription
"2b"PDF/A-2bVisual preservation. Guarantees the document looks the same when opened years later. The most common level for general archival.
"2a"PDF/A-2aVisual preservation + full tagged structure. Requires the same structure tree as PDF/UA (reading order, role map, alt text). Use when both archival and accessibility are required.
{/* Most common -- visual preservation */}
<Document pdfa="2b">...</Document>

{/* Tagged structure required (forces tagging, same as pdfUa) */}
<Document pdfa="2a">...</Document>
If you are unsure which level to use, start with "2b". It covers the majority of archival requirements and has the broadest acceptance.

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Roadmap: PDF/A-3b

PDF/A-3b extends PDF/A-2b with support for embedded file attachments (XML data, source spreadsheets, machine-readable invoices). This is on the roadmap but not yet supported. When available, it will use pdfa="3b".

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What Forme Handles

When pdfa is set, Forme automatically ensures the output conforms to the standard:
  • Font embedding — All fonts (including subsets) are fully embedded in the PDF. No external font references.
  • sRGB output intent — An sRGB ICC color profile is embedded as the document’s output intent, ensuring colors render consistently across devices.
  • XMP metadata — Document title, author, and conformance level are written as XMP metadata packets (required by PDF/A).
  • Document ID — A unique /ID array is written in the PDF trailer (required by PDF/A).
  • No encryption — PDF/A prohibits encryption. If you need to restrict access, use application-level controls instead of PDF encryption.
  • No JavaScript — PDF/A prohibits embedded JavaScript. Forme does not embed JavaScript in any case, so this is always satisfied.

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Combining with PDF/UA

For documents that need both archival compliance and accessibility (common in government and healthcare), combine both props: 
<Document pdfUa pdfa="2b" title="Accessible Archival Report" lang="en">
  <Page size="A4" margin={54}>
    <Text style={{ fontSize: 20, fontWeight: 700 }}>Annual Compliance Report</Text>
    <Image src="./chart.png" width={400} alt="Compliance metrics for fiscal year 2025" />
  </Page>
</Document>
This produces a PDF that satisfies both PDF/UA-1 and PDF/A-2b. See the Accessibility guide for PDF/UA details. Using pdfa="2a" also works here. PDF/A-2a requires the same tagged structure that PDF/UA demands, so the two standards align naturally.

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Known Limitations

  • No encryption. PDF/A explicitly prohibits document encryption. Attempting to combine encryption with PDF/A will produce a non-conformant file.

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Level Comparison

CapabilityPDF/A-2bPDF/A-2a
Visual preservationYesYes
Font embeddingYesYes
sRGB output intentYesYes
XMP metadataYesYes
Tagged structure treeNoYes (required)
Form fields (AcroForm)YesNo
Combined with PDF/UAYesYes