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Working with PDF/A

What you should know

Learn more about the PDF/A format : Click here.

To convert a PDF document to PDF/A format from ConsignO Desktop

Note that you can also convert a document to PDF/A directly from Windows and its file explorer: More information

1. Select one or more documents from the section My Computer
2. Right-click on the selection or click on the Edit menu
3. Select Convert to PDF/A format
4. A new window will pop-up with some options:
   1. If you selected more than one file
      • Click Next, if your selection is correct
      • Cancel to select again
   2. Select from the drop-down between the PDF/A–1b, PDF/A-2b or PDF/A-3b (More information on the different versions)
      
   3. Then select what you want to do with the converted file:
      1. Overwrite initial file
      2. Rename the file
      3. Select a new destination folder
   4. Click Finish and a progress window will pop up to shows the conversion progress and status

5. Click OK on the status window.

Your file is now converted to the PDF/A version selected.

To verify PDF/A compliance

1. Select one or more documents from the section My Computer
2. Right-click on the selection or click on the Edit menu
3. Select Verify PDF/A compliance.

The status window displays the verification result.

To reveal PDF/A documents

1. Select one or more documents from the section My Computer
2. You can:
   1. Right-click on the selection or click on the Edit menu
   2. Select Reveal PDF/A documents.
   3. Click on the icon   from the section My Computer
      

The icon appears beside the PDF/A documents among those selected.

Note that no compliance validation is performed with the reveal function; it simply looks up the PDF/A claim metadata in the document.

To add an attachment to a PDF/A

1. Click on the Attachments tab situated at the bottom of the document pane

2. You can then select any type of file you want to add

A convenient option of the PDF document format is the ability to attach files of any format, much like email attachments.  This option does not limit the properties of the PDF document. In particular, the PDF document with attachments can :

• Be converted to PDF/A format (PDF/A-3b format allows attachments. See: Questions/Answers : The PDF/A Format)
• Be digitally signed, which guarantees the integrity of the document and the attached files, since the digital signature covers the PDF document and its attachments.

Thus, if a document cannot be converted to PDF/A format or its format is not practical for digital signature, you can, with ConsignO Desktop, attach it to a PDF document that can be converted to PDF/A-3b format and digitally signed to guarantee the integrity of the attachments.