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How to Validate PDF/A Compliance Automatically

Generating PDF/A is one thing; proving it is another. Learn how to automate the validation of your archived documents to ensure compliance.

Automated scanner checking a PDF file and stamping it with a green Compliance Verified seal

How to Validate PDF/A Compliance Automatically

You have configured your document generator to output PDF/A files for long-term archiving. Great! But how do you know they are actually compliant?

A file might claim to be PDF/A in its metadata, but if it contains a non-embedded font or a forbidden JavaScript action, it is technically invalid. If you are audited 10 years from now, that file might be rejected.

Manual checking with Adobe Preflight is impossible at scale. You need Automated Validation.

1. Why Validation Fails

PDF/A is a strict standard. Common reasons for failure include:

  • Missing Color Profile: The device-independent color intent is not specified.
  • Font Embedding: A font used in the document is not fully embedded.
  • Transparency: Using transparency in PDF/A-1 (which forbids it).
  • Metadata Mismatch: The XMP metadata doesn’t match the document info dictionary.

2. Tools for Automated Validation

VeraPDF

VeraPDF is the industry-standard, open-source validator supported by the PDF Association. It is the definitive reference for PDF/A compliance.

  • CLI: It has a Command Line Interface, meaning you can integrate it into your server scripts.
  • Detailed Reports: It outputs XML/HTML reports detailing exactly which byte caused the violation.

pdfToolbox (Callas)

A commercial powerhouse used by many print shops and archives. It offers robust CLI and SDK options for high-volume validation and—crucially—repair.

3. Building a Validation Pipeline

Don’t just trust your generator. Verify.

  1. Generate: Your app creates the PDF.
  2. Validate: A background worker runs verapdf --format text my_file.pdf.
  3. Decision:
    • Pass: Move file to “Permanent Archive” storage.
    • Fail: Move file to “Quarantine” and alert the dev team.

4. Auto-Repair (The “Fixer”)

Some tools can attempt to fix non-compliant files automatically.

  • If a color profile is missing, it inserts a standard sRGB profile.
  • If metadata is corrupt, it rewrites it.

However, some errors (like missing font glyphs) cannot be fixed automatically because the data simply isn’t there. This is why validation at the source is critical.

5. Continuous Monitoring

If you update your templates or change your logo, you might inadvertently break PDF/A compliance (e.g., by introducing a transparent PNG logo into a PDF/A-1 workflow).

Include a validation step in your CI/CD pipeline. Whenever you deploy a new template version, generate a test sample and run it through the validator. If it fails, block the deployment.

Conclusion

Validation is the insurance policy for your digital archive. It ensures that the promise of “long-term preservation” is actually kept.

Trust but verify. MergeCanvas generates valid PDF/A files by default, but we encourage enterprise clients to implement validation steps for total peace of mind.