> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.formepdf.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Archival (PDF/A)

> Generate PDF/A-compliant documents for long-term preservation, legal archival, and regulatory compliance.

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.

***

## Enabling PDF/A

Add the `pdfa` prop to your Document component with the desired conformance level:

```tsx theme={null}
<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>
```

***

## Supported Levels

Forme supports two PDF/A conformance levels:

| Level  | Standard | Description                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ------ | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `"2b"` | PDF/A-2b | Visual preservation. Guarantees the document looks the same when opened years later. The most common level for general archival.                                                    |
| `"2a"` | PDF/A-2a | Visual 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. |

```tsx theme={null}
{/* Most common -- visual preservation */}
<Document pdfa="2b">...</Document>

{/* Tagged structure required (forces tagging, same as pdfUa) */}
<Document pdfa="2a">...</Document>
```

<Tip>If you are unsure which level to use, start with `"2b"`. It covers the majority of archival requirements and has the broadest acceptance.</Tip>

### 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"`.

***

## 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.

***

## Combining with PDF/UA

For documents that need both archival compliance and accessibility (common in government and healthcare), combine both props:

```tsx theme={null}
<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](/accessibility) 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.

***

## Known Limitations

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

***

## Level Comparison

| Capability             | PDF/A-2b | PDF/A-2a       |
| ---------------------- | -------- | -------------- |
| Visual preservation    | Yes      | Yes            |
| Font embedding         | Yes      | Yes            |
| sRGB output intent     | Yes      | Yes            |
| XMP metadata           | Yes      | Yes            |
| Tagged structure tree  | No       | Yes (required) |
| Form fields (AcroForm) | Yes      | No             |
| Combined with PDF/UA   | Yes      | Yes            |