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Can a PDF-1.3 be a PDF/A?

I have a PDF document which is supposed to be PDF/A conform, but the metadata states that it is a PDF-1.3 document. Can a PDF-1.3 document be conform with the rules of PDF/A?

Note that the first version of PDF/A is based on PDF-1.4 - hence my confusion.

Thanks in advance!

Solution

  • The PDF/A-1 specification (ISO 19005 part 1) states

    5.1 General

    This part of ISO 19005 defines a file format for representing electronic documents known as “PDF/A-1.” Conforming PDF/A-1 files shall adhere to all requirements of PDF Reference as modified by this part of ISO 19005.

    "PDF Reference" previously is defined as

    4 Notation

    ...

    For the purposes of this part of ISO 19005, references to the “PDF Reference” are to PDF Reference: Adobe Portable Document Format, version 1.4, 3rd ed., as amended by Errata for PDF Reference, 3rd ed. [...]

    Section 5.1 continues:

    Neither the version number in the header of a PDF file nor the value of the Version key in the document catalog dictionary shall be used in determining whether a file is in accordance with this part of ISO 19005.

    As these are the only metadata that can state that it is a PDF-1.3 document, this statement of version MUST NOT be used in determining whether a file is PDF/A-1.

    Thus, concerning your question:

    stijndg> Can a PDF-1.3 document be conform with the rules of PDF/A?

    Yes, it can.

    It merely has to

    1. adhere to all requirements of PDF Reference, version 1.4 and
    2. adhere to the requirements of ISO 19005 part 1 of Level A conformance or Level B conformance.

    Furthermore Section 5.1 recommends:

    Features described in PDF specifications prior to Version 1.4 which are not explicitly described in PDF Reference should not be used.

    But "should" indicates that this is a recommendation, so if for some reason the use of such features cannot be prevented, this does not keep a PDF from being PDF/A conform.