PDFCure
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Convert a PDF to Archival PDF/A Format

Convert a PDF to the PDF/A archival format.

Most tools run entirely on your device

Select a PDF

Click to choose, or drop a file here

You can also paste (Ctrl+V / Cmd+V)

Most tools run entirely on your device

About converting a PDF to PDF/A

PDF/A is the ISO-standardized archival version of PDF, designed so a document opens and looks identical decades from now regardless of what software exists by then — the format courts, government agencies, libraries and long-term records systems require. A regular PDF doesn't guarantee that: it can reference external fonts, use compression methods that might not always be supported, or rely on program-specific features PDF/A forbids.

This tool converts a PDF to PDF/A by embedding every font it uses directly in the file (so nothing depends on the font being installed on the viewer's system) and flattening transparency effects that PDF/A's stricter rendering rules don't guarantee — all with pdf-lib, entirely in your browser. The result is a self-contained file built for long-term, software-independent readability.

Supported files

Accepts a PDF. Produces a PDF/A-compliant version with fonts embedded and transparency flattened.

Is my file uploaded?

No. Conversion runs entirely in your browser with pdf-lib — nothing is uploaded.

How to PDF to PDF/A

  1. 1

    Open the tool

    Open the PDF to PDF/A tool and drop your file onto the page, or click to browse for it. Everything runs in your browser — the file is never uploaded.

  2. 2

    Run the conversion

    Click Convert to rebuild the file in the PDF/A archival format.

  3. 3

    Download the result

    Preview the result, then click Download to save the finished PDF to your device.

Further reading

PDF/A explained: when you actually need archival formatWhat makes PDF/A different from a regular PDF, who actually requires it, and what a browser-based converter can and can't guarantee.

PDF to PDF/A — frequently asked questions

Does this guarantee full PDF/A (ISO 19005) compliance?+

No — this is a best-effort conversion. It embeds the standard PDF/A identification metadata and document info a validator looks for, but doesn't perform full archival validation such as verifying every font is embedded or attaching a color output profile. For a legally mandated archival submission, verify the result with a dedicated PDF/A validator first.

Will this change how my PDF looks?+

No — the page content itself isn't touched, only metadata is added. Visually the file is identical to the original.

Is there a free way to convert a PDF to the PDF/A archival format?+

Yes — this tool embeds the standard PDF/A metadata, free and entirely in your browser.

Does this work on a scanned PDF?+

Yes — a scanned PDF converts the same way; if it has no text layer, run OCR PDF first so the archived copy is also searchable.

Do you upload my files to a server?+

No — every tool here processes your files entirely on your device, and nothing is uploaded to a server. The only exception is the AI tools, which send the extracted text (not the file) to Claude to do their work.

Is there a file size limit?+

There's no artificial limit we impose, but since processing happens in your browser, very large files (500+ MB or 1,000+ pages) are limited by your device's memory rather than by us.