Converting files

Does my court filing or archive need PDF/A? How to prepare a PDF for submission

When a court, archive or agency asks for PDF/A, finish everything else first (merging, OCR, compressing), convert to PDF/A-2b unless their rules name another version, and keep the original, because conversion removes passwords, scripts and digital signatures.

5 min read

PDF to PDF/AArchive-ready PDF/A, validatedOCR PDFMake scanned and photographed PDFs editableCompress PDFShrink heavy files, keep the text sharpMerge PDFCombine documents into one, in your order

Filing rules tend to be written by people who know exactly what they mean and assume you do too. "Documents must be submitted as text-searchable PDF/A." Fine, but which PDF/A, done in what order, and why did the portal just reject a file that says PDF/A on it?

Who asks for PDF/A, and why

Anyone who has to keep documents for a long time and cannot control which software will open them later:

  • Courts with electronic filing. A filing becomes part of a record kept for years. Some courts require PDF/A, some recommend it, and some only require a text-searchable PDF.
  • Archives and records offices. National, regional and local archives, and public administrations that must keep records for a fixed period.
  • Universities. Many ask for theses and dissertations in PDF/A for their repositories.
  • Registries, tenders and public portals. Company registries, procurement portals and permit systems often accept or require it.
  • E-invoicing. Some invoice formats are built on PDF/A-3, with the invoice data attached as XML.

What they all want is the same thing: a file that will open, and look the same, long after today's software has gone.

What "PDF/A" in the rules usually means

Which version. If the rules name one (PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b), use that exactly. If they just say "PDF/A", choose PDF/A-2b. The versions are explained in PDF/A-1b, 2b, 2u, 3b or 3u: which to choose.

What comes with it. PDF/A is often one line in a list. Some of the others PDF/A takes care of by itself: fonts embedded, no password, no scripts. Others it does not touch at all:

Common requirementDoes PDF/A cover it?
Fonts embeddedYes
No password or encryptionYes
No scripts or active contentYes
Text-searchableNo. A scan stays a picture unless you run OCR first
A file size limitNo. PDF/A files are often slightly larger
No attachmentsPartly. KovaPDF removes attachments for PDF/A-1b, 2b and 2u, and keeps them for PDF/A-3
Bookmarks for long documentsNo. They are kept if present, not created

Prepare the file in this order

Order matters, because changing a PDF/A file afterwards can break it.

  1. Finish the content. Every edit, correction and page change first.
  2. Combine if the rules want one file. Merge PDF exhibits and attachments into the order required.
  3. Make scans searchable. PDF/A conversion does not add text recognition. If the rules want searchable text, run scanned pages through OCR PDF now.
  4. Shrink if there is a size limit. Use Compress PDF before converting, not after.
  5. Convert to PDF/A, last. Use PDF to PDF/A.
  6. Sign after converting, if a digital signature is needed. Converting a signed file removes the signature, so the signature has to come after.
  7. Then leave the file alone. Editing, compressing or merging it later can break PDF/A. If anything changes, convert again.

Converting, step by step

  1. Open PDF to PDF/A and choose the final file.
  2. Read the compatibility check. Before anything changes, it lists what will happen to this document: fonts, colour, interactive content, attachments and security. Read any highlighted item before you go on.
  3. Choose the version the rules ask for, or PDF/A-2b.
  4. Convert. The file is converted, then checked against the rules of that standard with an open-source validator. The download appears only if it passes.
  5. Read the list of changes on the result screen before you file.

Why a PDF/A upload still gets rejected

  • Wrong version. The court wanted PDF/A-1b and received PDF/A-2b, or the other way round.
  • Changed after converting. The file was compressed, merged or edited afterwards. It still says PDF/A, but no longer follows the rules.
  • A different rule failed. The portal also checks size, page size, searchable text or bookmarks, and the error is about one of those, not PDF/A.
  • The portal's own checker. Validators occasionally judge unusual files differently. If the portal's message names a specific problem, that is the one to fix.
  • Digital signatures are removed. The visible stamp is kept, but the signature itself cannot survive a change to the file. Keep the signed original as your record.
  • Comments are set to print. PDF/A requires comments to have a fixed, printable appearance, and hidden ones are removed. Delete internal review notes before converting, or they may appear on the filed copy.
  • Form fields may be flattened. When pages have to be rebuilt, the typed values stay visible but can no longer be edited.
  • Restrictions are lifted. PDF/A cannot be encrypted, so printing and copying restrictions are removed.
  • The document properties are kept and rewritten. The title and author are written into the file's archival metadata. Check they say what you want a court or archive to see.

What the check does and does not mean

KovaPDF checks every converted file against the PDF/A standard you chose with an open-source validator, and never hands out a file that fails. That tells you the file follows the PDF/A rules. It cannot tell you that the file meets every other requirement of a particular court, archive or university, and it says nothing about the content. Their rules, and their portal, have the final word.

Common questions

Does converting to PDF/A make a document legally valid or admissible?

No. PDF/A is a file format standard about keeping a document readable. Whether a document is valid or admissible depends on its content, how it was signed and the rules of the court or authority, not on its format.

Should I use PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b for a court?

Whichever the court's rules name. If they only say PDF/A, PDF/A-2b is the usual choice. Use PDF/A-1b only when it is asked for.

Can I file a scanned document as PDF/A?

Yes. The scan keeps its image quality and becomes PDF/A as it is. If the rules also require searchable text, run it through OCR PDF before converting.

Is my file kept after conversion?

Only while you work. The file is converted on our server and deleted about 30 minutes after upload, or straight away when you leave the page or start again.

Related guides

Converting filesWhat is PDF/A, and how is it different from a normal PDF?PDF/A is an ISO standard (ISO 19005) for PDFs that must stay readable for decades: everything needed to display the file, such as fonts and a colour profile, has to be inside it, and anything that depends on outside software or files, such as scripts, encryption or embedded media, is not allowed.Working with scansHow do I improve the quality of a scanned PDF before I send it?Run the scan through Enhance with Sharpen on and a little more contrast, switch text-only pages to grayscale or pure black and white, then make it searchable and small enough to upload. Blur, skew and missing resolution cannot be repaired after scanning.Working with scansHow do I make a grey, speckled scan readable?Raise the contrast and convert to black and white. That removes the grey cast and the speckle in one step, because a scan's real problem is almost never brightness. It is that the paper and the ink are too close in tone.