PDF to PDF/A
Re-save a PDF with archival metadata and a flat structure. Not certified PDF/A.
What is Archival Re-save for PDFs?
Re-save a PDF with archival-oriented metadata and a flat file structure for long-term storage. Not certified PDF/A. Free, private, and fully in-browser.
When should you use it?
This tool is useful when you need to move content between PDF files and common office formats without installing desktop software.
How Archival Re-save for PDFs handles your file
Metadata is written and the file is re-serialised with pdf-lib inside your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Your device's own CPU does the work, so there is no upload wait and no server-side copy of your document to retain.
Good to know before you convert
- This is not PDF/A conformance. PdfPix does not embed missing fonts, convert colour spaces, add XMP conformance metadata, or validate against ISO 19005, so the output will not pass a PDF/A validator.
- There are no conformance-level options such as PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b.
- If your organisation requires genuine PDF/A, use a dedicated validator-backed converter such as Ghostscript, LibreOffice, or Adobe Acrobat's Preflight tool.
How to use Archival Re-save for PDFs
Upload your PDF file.
Click 'Convert to PDF/A' to write archival metadata and re-serialise the file without object streams.
Download the re-saved PDF.
Why choose PdfPix for Archival Re-save for PDFs?
Private by design
The file is never uploaded. Everything happens inside your browser tab, so there is no remote copy of your document to leak, retain, or subpoena.
No File Size Limits
Because conversions run locally using your computer's CPU power, we don't impose any artificial file size caps, queue delays, or wait times.
100% Free Forever
Get full access to all features without subscriptions, credit card inputs, or registration walls. No branding watermarks added to your outputs.
Universal Compatibility
PdfPix runs smoothly inside any modern browser on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android, without needing external applications or plugins.
How PdfPixCompares to iLovePDF & Smallpdf
Unlike traditional cloud PDF services that upload your confidential documents to remote servers, PdfPix processes your files 100% in your browser. No file size paywalls, no task queues, and zero remote data retention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the output certified PDF/A?
No, and we want to be explicit about this. PdfPix performs an archival-oriented re-save: it sets document metadata and writes the file without object streams. It does not embed missing fonts, convert colour spaces to device-independent values, add PDF/A XMP metadata, or run a conformance check. The result will not pass a PDF/A validator, so do not use it where ISO 19005 compliance is required.
Which PDF/A conformance level can I choose?
None. There is no conformance-level selector in this tool, because the output is not PDF/A. A compliant converter must let you choose a part and level (for example PDF/A-2b) and must validate the result against ISO 19005.
Does the document look different afterwards?
No. The visible content is unchanged. The file is simply re-serialised with updated metadata and without object streams, which can make the structure easier for older parsers to read.
What should I use for real archiving?
For genuine PDF/A output, use a converter that validates the result — for example Ghostscript with a PDF/A output device, LibreOffice's PDF/A export, or Acrobat's Preflight profiles. Those tools embed fonts, normalise colour spaces, and write the required XMP metadata.
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Related guides from the PdfPix blog
Step-by-step articles that show how to get the most out of Archival Re-save for PDFs in real workflows.