PDF/A (PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2, PDF/A-3)

PDF/A is a specialized version of the PDF designed for long-term archiving and preservation of electronic documents. It ensures that files remain unaltered over time by embedding all necessary elements like fonts and colors. PDF/A-1 is the original standard, focusing on static, fixed-quality documents. PDF/A-2 introduces features like support for color management, transparency, and compression improvements. PDF/A-3 extends this further by allowing embedding of other file types (e.g., spreadsheets or CAD files) within the PDF, facilitating comprehensive document preservation. Overall, PDF/A guarantees that archived documents look and function the same way decades later.