PaperHeroHow it works
- Choose the PDF or drag it into the box.
- Start the conversion. The tool checks the file and converts it when nothing stands in the way - text and fonts stay intact.
- If something does stand in the way, you see the reasons in plain words. You can then have the file built as an image PDF/A: free of those obstacles, but without selectable text and usually larger.
- Download the PDF/A. For binding submissions, check it with the recipient's validator as well.
What PDF/A is for - and who asks for it
PDF/A is the variant of PDF made for long-term archiving. Everything that could make a document look different later is ruled out: fonts must travel with the file, colours are pinned down, scripts, encryption and references to external content are forbidden. A PDF/A file therefore still looks the same in twenty years - whatever program opens it then.
That is exactly why so many places ask for it: courts and authorities in electronic legal communication, archives, universities for theses, tenders and many document management systems. PDF/A is also frequently recommended or required for retaining business records. Whether PDF/A is mandatory in your case, and which variant is accepted, is for the recipient to say. This tool produces PDF/A-2b, the most common variant today - and PDF/A-3b when your file carries attachments, because only that variant allows arbitrary attachments.
What the tool checks - and what it cannot do
Before marking the file as PDF/A, the tool checks the obstacles most files fail on: fonts that are not included in the file, scripts and automatic actions, dynamic forms, hidden or undisplayable comments, print colours without a colour profile, and a few outdated techniques. If everything is in order, it adds what PDF/A requires and keeps text, fonts, bookmarks, form fields and attachments. If something stands in the way, it names the reasons in plain words.
To be honest: this does not replace a formal validation. The PDF/A standard has hundreds of individual rules, and some of them - the internal consistency of embedded fonts or colour profiles, for instance - cannot be checked reliably in a browser. The tool prepares your file so that it normally passes the usual checks. When a submission is binding, also check the file with the recipient's validator; the free reference validator is called veraPDF.
When the image PDF/A is the right choice
If a file cannot be converted directly, the tool offers to save every page as an image and build a new PDF/A from those. The result contains no fonts, scripts or forms any more - nothing PDF/A could object to - and looks exactly like the original. The price: the text only exists as an image and can no longer be selected, copied or searched, bookmarks, form fields and attachments are dropped, and the file usually gets considerably larger.
For a scan that consists of images anyway, nothing is lost. For a text document the detour through the original program is often worth it: many word processors can export straight to PDF/A and embed the fonts while doing so. If you want to keep the text first, our text recognition saves it as a text file. And if you need the opposite direction because a PDF/A cannot be protected or edited: PDF/A to PDF.
Checking and converting run entirely in your browser. The file is not uploaded and not stored anywhere; your original stays untouched on your device and you download a new file.
And where does the finished PDF go?
PaperHero stores it encrypted in Germany, reads the text and finds it again when you need it. 30 days for €1, then €5.99 per month - cancel monthly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the file guaranteed to be PDF/A compliant afterwards?
No. The tool checks the most common obstacles and adds everything PDF/A prescribes - so most files pass a subsequent validation. Some rules of the standard cannot be fully checked in a browser, though, such as the internal consistency of embedded fonts. For binding submissions, check the file with the recipient's validator or with the free reference validator veraPDF.
Why can I no longer select the text in the image PDF/A?
Because every page is saved as an image - as if you had printed the document and scanned it again. That is the only way to get around obstacles such as missing fonts or scripts for certain. The text stays readable as an image but can no longer be selected, copied or searched. If you need the text, save it first with our text recognition as a text file, or export the document straight to PDF/A from the original program.
Which PDF/A variant does the tool create?
PDF/A-2b, the most common variant today, which authorities, courts and archives generally accept. If your file carries attachments, the tool creates PDF/A-3b instead, because only that variant allows arbitrary attachments - so they are kept. When in doubt, ask the recipient which variant they accept; some only take PDF/A-1 or PDF/A-2.
What happens if my file already is PDF/A?
The tool tells you so, shows the variant it detected and gives you the file back unchanged. If you need the opposite direction because the PDF/A cannot be protected or edited, use PDF/A to PDF.
Is my PDF uploaded anywhere?
No. Checking and converting happen entirely in your browser. The file never leaves your device, and once you close the tab nothing of it is left.