.pdfISO 19005-1 / 19005-4 • Maintained by International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
PDF for Long-Term Preservation (PDF/A)
An ISO-standardized subset of PDF designed specifically for digital preservation and electronic document archiving, guaranteeing exact rendering decades into the future.
Format Security & Threat Profile
Macro / Script Execution RiskNone
Native Cryptographic EncryptionNot Supported (Standard forbids)
Metadata Leakage Profile:
Strictly defined via standard XMP metadata packets
Technical Specifications & Standards
Prohibited FeaturesJavaScript, external font linking, audio/video embeds, encryption
Mandatory Elements100% embedded fonts, device-independent color profiles (ICC)
Conformance LevelsPDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2u, PDF/A-4
Standard Enterprise Use Cases
Court record filingsPatent registriesAcademic journal archivingMedical records retention