PDF/A is the ISO-standardized version of PDF made for long-term archiving, embedding all fonts and forbidding features that hurt future readability.
PDF/A opens in every PDF reader; standard PDF tools can convert documents to and from it.
Accurate ink-based color on paper.
Machine-readable production files.
Layouts that look identical everywhere.
| ✔ Strengths | ✖ Limitations |
|---|---|
| Excellent compatibility | No transparency support |
Remove the background from PDFA images, upscale to 4K, or generate new visuals with SharkFoto AI.
PDF/A is the ISO-standardized version of PDF made for long-term archiving, embedding all fonts and forbidding features that hurt future readability.
PDF/A opens in every PDF reader; standard PDF tools can convert documents to and from it.
PDFA is optimised for its specific use rather than strictly lossless storage.
Use SharkFoto's free tools — upload your PDFA file and convert it to a more convenient format in seconds. It's free, processed securely and never stored.
No — PDFA doesn't store transparency; convert to PNG or WEBP if you need it.