PDF/A Notes and Limitations

 
PDF/A is a special subset of the PDF format designed for long term archival.  AcroPlot Pro can create new files in PDF/A-1 and PDF/A-2 formats from many file types like Office, DWG, DXF, PLT, and Images.  But other formats like existing PDF files and DWF files at this time cannot be converted to PDF/A due to the complexity and limitations of the formats.
 
The exclusion of transparency in the PDF/A-1 formats was really a killer for most of our users because lines merge is used so much in the CAD world.  The introduction of the PDF/A-2 format helps with this problem but there are still things.
 
We are exploring a few different options such as working with 3rd Party PDF to PDF/A converters or possibly creating raster PDF files to get around the transparency and other issues in existing PDF and DWF files.  Please contact our sales at sales@cadzation.com with your requirements and number or users so we may provide you with some options.
 
PDF/A-1 was based on the PDF 1.4 format (Acrobat 5.0) where PDF/A-2 is based on the PDF 1.7 format.   For more information on the formats please see the following Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/A
 
Some limitations of it are:
 
 
PDF/A-1
PDF/A-2
Transparency (lines merge) is not allowed.
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All fonts must be embedded (even the standard 14 fonts that all viewers are supposed to be able to display and are typically not embedded in normal PDF files).
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Encryption (password protection) is not allowed.
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PAdES digital signatures are allowed
 
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Color profiles must be embedded
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Optional Content (layers) is not allowed.
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Audio and video, files are not allowed.
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Javascript is not allowed.
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LZW image compression is not allowed.
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JPEG200 image compression is not allowed.
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Embedded files and packaged PDF's are not allowed.
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