5 PDF File Formats You Should Know

Not all PDFs are created equal. The ISO has defined specific subsets of the PDF standard for specific industries.

1. PDF/A (Archiving)

• Purpose: Long-term preservation.
• Rule: Must embed all fonts. No encryption. No audio/video.
• Use Case: Legal records, government archives.

2. PDF/X (Exchange/Print)

• Purpose: Professional printing.
• Rule: Must define color space (CMYK). No RGB. Images must be high-res.
• Use Case: Sending a magazine layout to a printing press.

3. PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility)

• Purpose: Accessibility for people with disabilities.
• Rule: Must have a logical tag structure (Headings, Alt Text).
• Use Case: Government forms, public reports.

4. PDF/E (Engineering)

• Purpose: Technical documents.
• Rule: Supports 3D objects and geospatial data.
• Use Case: CAD drawings, architectural plans.

5. PDF/VT (Variable Transactional)

• Purpose: High-volume personalized printing.
• Rule: Optimized for printing 10,000 invoices where only the name changes.
• Use Case: Bank statements, utility bills.

Conclusion

Choosing the right standard ensures your document performs its job—whether that’s lasting 100 years (PDF/A) or printing perfectly (PDF/X).

Standards compliant. MergeCanvas allows you to target specific PDF standards with a simple configuration flag.