Under Tools → PDF to PDF/A. Upload a PDF, get back a PDF/A.
What PDF/A is for
PDF/A is the archival variant of PDF. Everything needed to render the document, fonts, colour profiles, images, is embedded in the file itself, and features that depend on the outside world are stripped out.
An ordinary PDF can look different in ten years if a font is missing or something it linked to has gone. A PDF/A is meant to render identically forever, which is why archives, courts and public bodies ask for it.
Twenty conversions a day
PDF/A conversion is capped at 20 files a day per user. Ample for normal use; if you are converting an archive in bulk, spread it across days or talk to us.
When to use it
- A counterparty, regulator or archive specifically asks for PDF/A.
- The document is going into long-term records rather than being read once.
- Your own retention policy requires an archival format.
For everyday agreements it is unnecessary. A normal signed PDF is legally sound on its own.
Convert before signing, not after
Converting a signed PDF rewrites the file, which breaks the signature it carries. If you need PDF/A, convert the document first and then send that version for signature.
It does not replace keeping your own copy
Archival format or not, swipesign deletes documents 14 days after completion. PDF/A is about the file surviving; storing it is still yours to do. See How long we keep your documents.