PDF/A

[Hugo33986302bwgg]

In acrobat pro, I experience misleading information when I check whether a pdf is compatible with the PDF/A standard.

At the top of acrobat, there is information that the pdf file complies with the PDF/A standard.

In preflight, the result is that the file is not compatible with PDF/A.

At the same time, I see that some other programs conclude that it is a PDF/A pdf.

Can someone explain to me why I am getting such different information.

[Amal.]

Hi there!

Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out.

The difference you’re seeing happens because of how Acrobat checks if a PDF follows the PDF/A standard:

1. Top Bar in Acrobat:
The top bar shows that the PDF claims to meet the PDF/A standard. This is based on a "label" in the file (metadata), not a full check. It’s like taking the file’s word for it.

2. Preflight Tool in Acrobat:
Preflight does a deeper check. It looks inside the PDF and checks all the rules for PDF/A compliance. If Preflight says it’s not compliant, it found something wrong, like missing fonts or other issues.

3. Other Programs:
Other software might only check the label (metadata) or use different rules to decide if a file is PDF/A, which is why their results can differ.

Why this happens:
The top bar only shows the label. Preflight does a full check. If they don’t match, trust Preflight—it’s more accurate.

What to do next:

- Use Preflight: Check the Preflight report to see what’s wrong.

- Fix the Issues: You can fix some problems in Preflight or recreate the PDF with the correct settings.

Help articles for reference:

- https://adobe.ly/4ggRIOj
- https://adobe.ly/40QYeHf