How it works

A partial move toward archival format: strips encryption, sets clean metadata, and re-saves. Not a validated PDF/A.

Honest framing: true PDF/A compliance requires every font embedded with the right subsetting, ICC color profiles attached, no JavaScript, no encryption, and a validator pass that browsers can't fully perform. What this tool does: strips owner-restrictions, sets PDF/A-style metadata (your title and author if provided, plus producer and creation/modification dates), and re-saves a clean copy. For many archival uses (internal records, low-stakes long-term storage), this is enough. For legal or regulatory archives that demand PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, or PDF/A-3b compliance, run the output through a real validator (Acrobat, veraPDF) before relying on it. Output filename has -pdfa appended. Built on pdf-lib.

How to use it

1. Drop your PDF. Drag the PDF you want to prepare for archiving.
2. Set title and author. Optionally fill in the metadata fields written into the output.
3. Convert. Encryption is stripped and PDF/A-style metadata is written, all locally.
4. Validate if it matters. For legal or regulatory archives, run the output through a real validator like veraPDF.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a real PDF/A converter?

It's a partial conversion. It cleans metadata and removes encryption, but doesn't embed fonts or attach ICC profiles, which true PDF/A requires.

Can I use this for legal archives?

Only if you verify the output with a PDF/A validator. The conversion gets you closer to compliance but doesn't certify it.

What changes about my PDF?

Encryption is removed, metadata is set or cleaned, the producer field is rewritten, creation and modification dates are set to now.

Does this upload my PDF?

No. Everything runs locally via pdf-lib.