Convert PDF to PDF/A-2b — with a preflight you can read
Archive-ready output for courts, registries and long-term storage, converted and re-checked on your device.
Free: 3 jobs per UTC day, 25 MB per file. PDF exports include a visible Made with Bindery watermark. Pro exports clean PDFs.
Prefer the full studio? Open PDF to PDF/A in the app →
Bindery runs a PDF/A-2b preflight first — fonts embedded?, encryption, JavaScript, embedded files, multimedia annotations, annotation appearances, output intent, XMP, document ID — then rewrites the file: an sRGB ICC output intent is embedded, XMP metadata declares PDF/A-2b, a document ID is set, forbidden content is removed and form appearances are generated. The same preflight runs again on the result.
Fonts are the honest part: text set in fonts that were never embedded cannot be re-encoded, so those pages are rendered to a 200 DPI image (you can switch this off and keep the objection instead). The report says exactly what changed and points to veraPDF for a certified verdict. Bindery runs entirely in your browser — your file is never uploaded, so there is nothing to delete from a server afterwards.
How it works
- Drop the PDF and open PDF/A archive — the preflight appears immediately
- Choose whether pages with non-embedded fonts should be rasterised
- Convert — the PDF/A file and its preflight report download together
What PDF/A is for
PDF/A is the ISO standard for PDFs that must still open identically in decades: courts, registries, tax authorities, universities and archives require it because it forbids everything that can break over time — fonts that are not embedded, encryption, JavaScript, external references, embedded files, multimedia — and demands the things that make a file self-describing: an output intent with an ICC colour profile, XMP metadata, a document ID. PDF/A-2b, the level Bindery writes, is the common requirement for “visually preserved” documents: the page must look the same, without the stricter accessibility structure of level a.
What the converter does, step by step
- Preflight the input against the PDF/A-2b rules: embedded fonts, encryption, JavaScript, embedded files, multimedia annotations, annotation appearances, output intent, XMP, document ID.
- Rewrite: embed an sRGB ICC output intent, declare PDF/A-2b in XMP, set a document ID, remove forbidden content, generate appearances for form fields.
- Fonts: text set in a font that was never embedded cannot be re-encoded without the font file. Those pages are rendered to a 200 DPI image so the file conforms — or leave the option off, keep the text, and accept the objection in the report.
- Re-check the result with the same preflight and download the report alongside the file.
No browser tool can certify a file — validators such as veraPDF do that. The report lists every rule covered so a formal check holds no surprises.
Converting in the browser versus uploading
| PDF to PDF/A | Bindery | Upload-based tools |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file is processed | In your browser tab, on your device | Uploaded to the service’s servers |
| Preflight | Before and after, readable report | Usually a pass/fail |
| Court and registry documents | Never leave the device | Uploaded, retained for a period |
| Non-embedded fonts | Rasterised at 200 DPI, or declined — your choice | Varies, often silent |
| What exists afterwards | The original and the new file, both on your device | A server copy until the retention window ends |
| Works offline | Yes, once the app has loaded | No |
Before you archive
- Give scans a text layer with OCR first; archives increasingly expect searchable files.
- Fix title and language with Remove metadata — the same tool edits them.
- Check structure with the accessibility check if PDF/A-2a or PDF/UA is on the horizon.
- Court filings have their own checklist: PDF for court e-filing.
Questions people ask
Is the output guaranteed to pass veraPDF?
No tool can promise that from the browser, and Bindery does not. It fixes the rules that cause most rejections and re-checks them; the report lists every rule it covered so a formal validator has no surprises.
Why does it rasterise some pages?
PDF/A requires every font to be embedded. Text in a non-embedded font cannot be re-encoded without the font file, so the only conforming option is to draw the page as an image — Bindery tells you which pages and lets you decline.
Is my document uploaded?
No. Preflight, conversion and re-check all run in your browser.
Which PDF/A level do I need?
Most requirements say PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b, and PDF/A-2b satisfies almost every one of them while allowing JPEG 2000 and transparency. Level a additionally requires tagged structure, which must come from the authoring tool. Check the recipient’s written requirement.
Does converting to PDF/A make the file larger?
A little, for the ICC profile and metadata. Pages rasterised because of non-embedded fonts grow more; the report says which pages those were.
Can a PDF/A file still be edited?
Yes — it is a normal PDF with constraints. Editing it may break conformance, so convert last, after every other change.