DocumentationAEM 6.5 LTSUser Guide

Working with PDF/A Documents working-with-pdf-a-documents

Last update: Thu Mar 06 2025 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
  • Applies to:
  • Experience Manager 6.5 LTS

CREATED FOR:

  • Developer

About the DocConverter Service

The DocConverter service can convert PDF documents to PDA/A documents. You can accomplish these tasks using this service:

NOTE
For more information about the DocConverter service, see Services Reference for AEM Forms.

Converting Documents to PDF/A Documents converting-documents-to-pdf-a-documents

You can use the DocConverter service to convert a PDF document to a PDF/A document. Because PDF/A is an archival format for long-term preservation of the document’s content, all fonts are embedded and the file is uncompressed. As a result, a PDF/A document is typically larger than a standard PDF document. Also, a PDF/A document does not contain audio and video content. Before you convert a PDF document to a PDF/A document, ensure that the PDF document is not a PDF/A document.

The PDF/A-1 specification consists of two levels of conformance, namely A and B. The major difference between the two is regarding the logical structure (accessibility) support, which is not required for conformance level B. Regardless of the conformance level, PDF/A-1 dictates that all fonts are embedded within the generated PDF/A document. At this time, only PDF/A-1b is supported in validation (and conversion).

While PDF/A is the standard for archiving PDF documents, it is not mandatory that PDF/A be used for archiving if a standard PDF document meets your company’s requirements. The purpose of the PDF/A standard is to establish a PDF file meant for long-term archiving and document-preservation needs.

NOTE
For more information about the DocConverter service, see Services Reference for AEM Forms.

Summary of steps summary-of-steps

To convert a PDF document to a PDF/A document, perform the following steps:

  1. Include project files.
  2. Create a DocConvert client
  3. Reference a PDF document to convert to a PDF/A document.
  4. Set tracking information.
  5. Convert the document.
  6. Save the PDF/A document.

Include project files

Include the necessary files in your development project. If you are creating a client application by using Java, include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, make sure that you include the proxy files.

The following JAR files must be added to your project’s class path:

  • adobe-livecycle-client.jar
  • adobe-usermanager-client.jar
  • adobe-docconverter-client.jar
  • adobe-utilities.jar (required if AEM Forms is deployed on JBoss Application Server)
  • jbossall-client.jar (required if AEM Forms is deployed on JBoss Application Server)

For information about the location of these JAR files, see Including AEM Forms Java library files.

Create a DocConvert client

Before you can programmatically perform an DocConverter operation, you must create a DocConverter client. If you are using the Java API, create a DocConverterServiceClient object. If you are using the DocConverter web service API, create a DocConverterServiceService object.

Reference a PDF document to convert to a PDF/A document

Retrieve a PDF document to convert to a PDF/A document. If you attempt to convert a PDF document, such as an Acrobat form, to a PDF/A document, you will cause an exception.

Set tracking information

You can set a run-time option that determines how much information is tracked during the conversion process. That is, you can set nine different levels that specify how much information the DocConverter service tracks when it converts a PDF document to a PDF/A document.

Convert the document

After you create the DocConverter service client, reference the PDF document to convert and set the run-time option that specifies how much information is tracked, you can convert the PDF document to a PDF/A document.

Save the PDF/A document

You can save the PDF/A document as a PDF file.

See also

Convert documents to PDF/A documents using the Java API

Convert documents to PDF/A documents using the web service API

Including AEM Forms Java library files

Setting connection properties

Programmatically Determining PDF/A Compliancy

Convert documents to PDF/A documents using the Java API convert-documents-to-pdf-a-documents-using-the-java-api

Convert a PDF document to a PDF/A document by using the Java API:

  1. Include project files

    Include client JAR files, such as adobe-docconverter-client.jar, in your Java project’s class path.

  2. Create a DocConvert client

    • Create a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.
    • Create a DocConverterServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing the ServiceClientFactory object.

  3. Reference a PDF document to convert to a PDF/A document

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represents the PDF document to convert by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the PDF file.
    • Create a com.adobe.idp.Document object by using its constructor and passing the java.io.FileInputStream object.

  4. Set tracking information

    • Create a PDFAConversionOptionSpec object by using its constructor.
    • Set the information tracking level by invoking the PDFAConversionOptionSpec object’s setLogLevel method and passing a string value that specifies the tracking level. For example, pass the value FINE. For information about the different values, see the setLogLevel method in the AEM Forms API Reference.

  5. Convert the document

    Convert the PDF document to a PDF/A document by invoking the DocConverterServiceClient object’s toPDFA method and passing the following values:

    • The com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the PDF document to convert
    • The PDFAConversionOptionSpec object that specifies tracking information

    The toPDFA method returns a PDFAConversionResult object that contains the PDF/A document.

  6. Save the PDF/A document

    • Retrieve the PDF/A document by invoking the PDFAConversionResult object’s getPDFA method. This method returns a com.adobe.idp.Document object that represents the PDF/A document.
    • Create a java.io.File object that represents the PDF/A file. Ensure that the file name extension is .pdf.
    • Populate the file with PDF/A data by invoking the com.adobe.idp.Document object’s copyToFile method and passing the java.io.File object.

See also

Working with PDF/A Documents

Quick Start (SOAP mode): Converting a document to a PDF/A document using the Java API

Including AEM Forms Java library files

Setting connection properties

Convert documents to PDF/A documents using the web service API convert-documents-to-pdf-a-documents-using-the-web-service-api

Convert a PDF document to a PDF/A document by using the DocConverter API (web service):

  1. Include project files

    • Create a Microsoft .NET client assembly that consumes the DocConverter WSDL.
    • Reference the Microsoft .NET client assembly.

  2. Create a DocConvert client

    • Using the Microsoft .NET client assembly, create a DocConverterServiceService object by invoking its default constructor.
    • Set the DocConverterServiceService object’s Credentials data member with a System.Net.NetworkCredential value that specifies the user name and password value.

  3. Reference a PDF document to convert to a PDF/A document

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the PDF document that is converted to a PDF/A document.
    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the PDF document and the mode to open the file in.
    • Create a byte array that stores the content of the System.IO.FileStream object. You can determine the size of the byte array by getting the System.IO.FileStream object’s Length property.
    • Populate the byte array with stream data by invoking the System.IO.FileStream object’s Read method and passing the byte array, the starting position, and the stream length to read.
    • Populate the BLOB object by assigning its binaryData property with the contents of the byte array.

  4. Set tracking information

    • Create a PDFAConversionOptionSpec object by using its constructor.
    • Set the information tracking level by assigning a value that specifies the tracking level to the PDFAConversionOptionSpec object’s logLevel data member. For example, assign the value FINE to this data member.

  5. Convert the document

    Convert the PDF document to a PDF/A document by invoking the DocConverterServiceService object’s toPDFA method and passing the following values:

    • The BLOB object that contains the PDF document to convert
    • The PDFAConversionOptionSpec object that specifies tracking information

    The toPDFA method returns a PDFAConversionResult object that contains the PDF/A document.

  6. Save the PDF/A document

    • Create a BLOB object that stores the PDF/A document by getting the value of the PDFAConversionResult object’s PDFADocument data member.
    • Create a byte array that stores the content of the BLOB object that was returned by using the PDFAConversionResult object. Populate the byte array by getting the value of the BLOB object’s binaryData data member.
    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the PDF/A document.
    • Create a System.IO.BinaryWriter object by invoking its constructor and passing the System.IO.FileStream object.
    • Write the contents of the byte array to a PDF file by invoking the System.IO.BinaryWriter object’s Write method and passing the byte array.

See also

Working with PDF/A Documents

Invoking AEM Forms using Base64 encoding

Creating a .NET client assembly that uses Base64 encoding

Programmatically Determining PDF/A Compliancy programmatically-determining-pdf-a-compliancy

You can use the DocConverter service to determine whether a PDF document is PDF/A-compliant. For information about a PDF/A document and how to convert a PDF document to a PDF/A document, see Converting Documents to PDF/A Documents.

NOTE
For more information about the DocConverter service, see Services Reference for AEM Forms.

Summary of steps summary_of_steps-1

To determine PDF/A compliancy, perform the following steps:

  1. Include project files.
  2. Create a DocConvert client
  3. Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy.
  4. Set run-time options.
  5. Retrieve information about the PDF document.

Include project files

Include the necessary files in your development project. If you are creating a client application by using Java, include the necessary JAR files. If you are using web services, make sure that you include the proxy files.

The following JAR files must be added to your project’s class path:

  • adobe-livecycle-client.jar
  • adobe-usermanager-client.jar
  • adobe-docconverter-client.jar
  • adobe-utilities.jar (required if AEM Forms is deployed on JBoss Application Server)
  • jbossall-client.jar (required if AEM Forms is deployed on JBoss Application Server)

For information about the location of these JAR files, see Including AEM Forms Java library files.

Create a DocConvert client

Before you can programmatically perform an DocConverter operation, you must create a DocConverter client. If you are using the Java API, create a DocConverterServiceClient object. If you are using the DocConverter web service API, create a DocConverterServiceService object.

Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy

A PDF document must be referenced and passed to the DocConverter service to determine whether the PDF document is PDF/A-compliant.

Set run-time options

You can set a run-time option that determines how much information is tracked during the conversion process. That is, you can set nine different level that specify how much information the DocConverter service tracks when it converts a PDF document to a PDF/A document.

Retrieve information about the PDF document

After you create the DocConverter service client, reference the PDF document, and set the run-time options, you can determine whether the PDF document is a PDF/A-compliant document.

See also

Determine PDF/A compliancy using the Java API

Determine PDF/A compliancy using the web service API

Including AEM Forms Java library files

Setting connection properties

Determine PDF/A compliancy using the Java API determine-pdf-a-compliancy-using-the-java-api

Determine PDF/A compliancy by using the Java API:

  1. Include project files

    Include client JAR files, such as adobe-docconverter-client.jar, in your Java project’s class path.

  2. Create a DocConvert client

    • Create a ServiceClientFactory object that contains connection properties.
    • Create a DocConverterServiceClient object by using its constructor and passing the ServiceClientFactory object.

  3. Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy

    • Create a java.io.FileInputStream object that represents the PDF document to convert by using its constructor and passing a string value that specifies the location of the PDF file.
    • Create a com.adobe.idp.Document object by using its constructor and passing the java.io.FileInputStream object.

  4. Set run-time options

    • Create a PDFAValidationOptionSpec object by using its constructor.
    • Set the compliance level by invoking the PDFAValidationOptionSpec object’s setCompliance method and passing PDFAValidationOptionSpec.Compliance.PDFA_1B.
    • Set the information tracking level by invoking the PDFAValidationOptionSpec object’s setLogLevel method and passing a string value that specifies the tracking level. For example, pass the value FINE. For information about the different values, see the setLogLevel method in the AEM Forms API Reference.

  5. Retrieve information about the PDF document

    Determine PDF/A compliancy by invoking the DocConverterServiceClient object’s isPDFA method and passing the following values:

    • The com.adobe.idp.Document object that contains the PDF document.
    • The PDFAValidationOptionSpec object that specifies run-time options.

    The isPDFA method returns a PDFAValidationResult object that contains the results of this operation.

See also

Working with PDF/A Documents

Quick Start (SOAP mode): Determining PDF/A compliancy using the Java API

Including AEM Forms Java library files

Setting connection properties

Determine PDF/A compliancy using the web service API determine-pdf-a-compliancy-using-the-web-service-api

Determine PDF/A compliancy by using the web service API:

  1. Include project files

    • Create a Microsoft .NET client assembly that consumes the DocConverter WSDL.
    • Reference the Microsoft .NET client assembly.

  2. Create a DocConvert client

    • Using the Microsoft .NET client assembly, create a DocConverterServiceService object by invoking its default constructor.
    • Set the DocConverterServiceService object’s Credentials data member with a System.Net.NetworkCredential value that specifies the user name and password value.

  3. Reference a PDF document used to determine PDF/A compliancy

    • Create a BLOB object by using its constructor. The BLOB object is used to store the PDF document that is converted to a PDF/A document.
    • Create a System.IO.FileStream object by invoking its constructor and passing a string value that represents the file location of the PDF document and the mode to open the file in.
    • Create a byte array that stores the content of the System.IO.FileStream object. You can determine the size of the byte array by getting the System.IO.FileStream object’s Length property.
    • Populate the byte array with stream data by invoking the System.IO.FileStream object’s Read method and passing the byte array, the starting position, and the stream length to read.
    • Populate the BLOB object by assigning its binaryData property with the contents of the byte array.

  4. Set run-time options

    • Create a PDFAValidationOptionSpec object by using its constructor.
    • Set the compliance level by assigning the PDFAValidationOptionSpec object’s compliance data member with the value PDFAConversionOptionSpec_Compliance.PDFA_1B.
    • Set the information tracking level by assigning the PDFAValidationOptionSpec object’s resultLevel data member with the value PDFAValidationOptionSpec_ResultLevel.DETAILED.

  5. Retrieve information about the PDF document

    Determine PDF/A compliancy by invoking the DocConverterServiceService object’s isPDFA method and passing the following values:

    • The BLOB object that contains the PDF document.
    • The PDFAValidationOptionSpec object that contains run-time options.

    The isPDFA method returns a PDFAValidationResult object that contains the results of this operation.

See also

Working with PDF/A Documents

Invoking AEM Forms using Base64 encoding

Creating a .NET client assembly that uses Base64 encoding

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