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Convert PDF to PDF/A — the archival standard for legal and government

Convert any PDF to PDF/A — the ISO-19005 archival format required by courts, government agencies, and document-retention systems. Embeds fonts, locks color profiles, and produces a self-contained file that will render the same in 50 years.

Pick 2b unless your target system specifically requires 1b or 3b. Most US courts and government agencies accept 2b.

PDF/A is the ISO-19005 archival subset of PDF — required by US federal courts, state-court e-filing systems, government agencies, and many document-retention platforms. It guarantees the document will render identically a decade or more from now: fonts must be embedded, transparency is restricted, color profiles are locked, and external dependencies (linked files, JavaScript, encryption) are forbidden. PDFOnly converts your PDF to PDF/A using Ghostscript with strict compliance flags. We default to PDF/A-2b — the most widely-accepted variant — but PDF/A-1b (older systems) and PDF/A-3b (allows file attachments) are also available.

How to pdf to pdf/a step by step

  1. 1

    Upload your PDF

    Up to 100 MB free, 200 MB on Pro. Any PDF works — the converter will adjust whatever isn't already PDF/A-compliant.

  2. 2

    Choose PDF/A level

    PDF/A-1b is the oldest, most restrictive — choose if your target system is older. PDF/A-2b adds JPEG2000 and transparency support — the modern default and what most courts/agencies accept. PDF/A-3b allows file attachments inside the PDF/A — useful when your archive needs to embed source files.

  3. 3

    Click Convert and download

    Ghostscript handles font embedding, color-profile normalization, and removal of forbidden features (JavaScript, external links, encryption). The output is a standards-compliant PDF/A.

Why pdf to pdf/a on PDFOnly

ISO-compliant output, not a rename

Some converters just change the metadata flag and call it done. We run a real Ghostscript conversion that embeds fonts, normalizes colors, and removes non-compliant features.

Three PDF/A levels supported

Most converters only output PDF/A-1b. We support PDF/A-1b, 2b, and 3b — pick the right level for your target system.

Court-ready output

Used by lawyers and paralegals for federal-court e-filing. The output meets PACER/CM-ECF requirements out of the box.

Privacy-first

Files auto-deleted within an hour, never used to train AI. Self-host if your jurisdiction requires air-gapped processing.

What people use pdf to pdf/a for

A few common scenarios. If your workflow looks like one of these, this tool is a good fit.

Court e-filing (PACER, CM-ECF, state systems)

US federal courts and most state courts require PDF/A for electronic filing. Convert your motions, briefs, and exhibits before submitting through PACER or CM-ECF.

Government records and FOIA archives

Many federal agencies and state archives require PDF/A for records retention. Convert before depositing into NARA, agency-specific document systems, or FOIA repositories.

ISO-9001 / SOC 2 compliance archives

Quality-management and security audits require document archives to render identically over time. PDF/A is the standard format.

Long-term contract and corporate records

Twenty-year leases, ESOP plan documents, M&A records — anything you'll need to render perfectly a decade from now should be PDF/A.

Academic/research archive deposits

University repositories, dissertations, and research-data deposits frequently require PDF/A so the materials remain readable as PDF readers evolve.

What you get

  • ISO-19005 compliant output (PDF/A-1b, 2b, or 3b)
  • Required for US PACER/CM-ECF court e-filing
  • Embeds all fonts, including subsets, for guaranteed long-term rendering
  • Locks color profile (sRGB) so document looks the same on every viewer
  • Free, no signup, files auto-deleted in 1 hour
  • Validated against PDF/A-2b spec via Ghostscript

Frequently asked questions

Which PDF/A level should I pick?

PDF/A-2b is the modern default — most courts and agencies accept it. Use PDF/A-1b only if the target system is old or specifically requires it. Use PDF/A-3b only if you need to embed source files (CSV, XML, etc.) inside the archived PDF.

What's the difference between -1b and -2b and -3b?

PDF/A-1 (2005) is based on PDF 1.4 — no transparency, no JPEG2000, no layers. PDF/A-2 (2011) is based on PDF 1.7 — adds transparency, JPEG2000, OpenType fonts, layers. PDF/A-3 (2012) adds the ability to embed arbitrary file attachments. The 'b' suffix means 'basic' compliance (visual fidelity) vs 'a' which adds tagged accessibility.

Will the visual appearance change?

Generally no. Color may shift slightly if your source PDF used a CMYK or Lab color space — PDF/A normalizes to sRGB. Fonts are embedded so text appearance is preserved. Forms remain interactive.

Will my fillable form fields still work?

Yes — AcroForm fields are preserved in PDF/A. XFA forms (a separate, deprecated standard) are not allowed in PDF/A and will be removed.

Can I convert a PDF/A back to a normal PDF?

PDF/A is a subset of PDF — every PDF/A is already a valid PDF. Most readers don't distinguish. If you want to remove the PDF/A flag specifically, use a regular Compress PDF or save with another tool.

Is the output validated against the spec?

Ghostscript outputs files that meet the PDF/A-1b/2b/3b spec, but for forensically-strict environments, run an external validator like veraPDF on critical archives. We don't run a validator pass for performance reasons.

What about encryption?

PDF/A forbids encryption — the output PDF is unencrypted. If your input was password-protected, unlock it first.

Ready to pdf to pdf/a?

Free to use for the basics. Files are auto-deleted within an hour and never used to train AI.

Open PDF to PDF/A