Converting from PDF to PDF/A does not produce the expected result

Aspose.PDF Product Family
1

Good evening,

I encountered a problem converting from PDF to PDF/A.
The file I’m attaching
file1 1 (1).pdf (135,0 KB) cannot be converted to PDF/A.
The conversion result is always in the “standard” PDF format.
I tried both the 22.12 version we have in our company and the “online” conversion from your website, where version 25.6.0 is available.

Note: The attached file is not the only one with this problem.
Could you please check the cause of this malfunction?
Thank you.

2

@L1b3r0

Good evening!

It sounds like you’re having trouble converting a PDF file to PDF/A format, and I understand how frustrating that can be. Here’s a structured approach to troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

Cause: The conversion may fail due to various reasons, such as invalid PDF structure, missing embedded fonts, or incorrect conversion settings.

Solution: Follow these steps to ensure a successful conversion:

  1. Validation Before Conversion: Ensure that the PDF file is valid for conversion. Use the validation method to check if the document meets the necessary standards for PDF/A compliance. This validation will generate a log file that can help identify any issues.

  2. Use the Correct Conversion Method: Make sure you are using the appropriate method for conversion. For example, you can use the Convert method from the Document class, specifying the desired PDF/A format and handling any conversion errors appropriately.

  3. Check for Missing Fonts: If the PDF contains fonts that are not embedded, the conversion may fail. Substitute missing fonts with available alternatives using the font substitution feature.

  4. Review Conversion Options: When converting, specify options such as the PDF/A version (e.g., PDF_A_1B, PDF_A_3B) and the action to take for elements that cannot be converted (e.g., delete or keep).

Here’s a simple code snippet to illustrate how to convert a PDF to PDF/A:

using (var document = new Aspose.Pdf.Document("input.pdf"))
{
    // Validate the PDF
    document.Validate("validationLog.xml", Aspose.Pdf.PdfFormat.PDF_A_1B);

    // Convert to PDF/A
    document.Convert("conversionLog.xml", Aspose.Pdf.PdfFormat.PDF_A_1B, Aspose.Pdf.ConvertErrorAction.Delete);
    
    // Save the converted document
    document.Save("output.pdf");
}

Next Steps: If you continue to experience issues, please check the log files generated during validation and conversion for any specific errors that might indicate what’s going wrong. You can also share those logs with me for further assistance.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or need additional support.

3

Good morning,

the steps described by your bot have all been verified and the problem persists. Can anyone help me?

Thanks.

4

@L1b3r0

Are you using Aspose.PDF for Java or .NET? Can you please share the which specific PDF/A format you are trying to convert your PDF into? If possible, please share the sample code snippet that you have been using for conversion so that we can try to replicate the issue in our environment and address it accordingly.

5

Good evening,

I’m using Aspose for Java.

These are the code excerpts where the conversion is performed.
They are essentially identical:

  • in the first, an A_3A compliance is used.
  • in the second, the compliance is passed via a parameter and can only assume values in the range A_1A, A_2A, and A3A (default).

method 1:

public void toPdf(OutputStream os) throws Exception {
    if (os == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("The output stream is null!");
    }

    final ByteArrayOutputStream outputLogStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

    doc.convert(outputLogStream, TitulusPdfCompliance.PDFA_FORMAT_A_3A, ConvertErrorAction.Delete);

    if (log.isTraceLevel()) {
        log.trace("toPdf", "PDF/A conversion log: {}", outputLogStream.toString("utf-8"));
    }

    this.doc.save(os);
}

method 2:

 public void toPdfWithCompliance(OutputStream os, PdfFormat pdfFormat) throws Exception {
    if (os == null) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("The output stream is null!");
    }

    if(pdfFormat == null) {
        pdfFormat = TitulusPdfCompliance.PDFA_FORMAT_A_3A;
    }

    final ByteArrayOutputStream outputLogStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

    doc.convert(outputLogStream, pdfFormat, ConvertErrorAction.Delete);   
   
    if (log.isTraceLevel()) {
        log.trace("toPdfWithCompliance", "PDF/A conversion log: {}", outputLogStream.toString("utf-8"));
    }

    this.doc.save(os);
}

Thank you for your attention.

6

@L1b3r0

We have opened the following new ticket(s) in our internal issue tracking system and will deliver their fixes according to the terms mentioned in Free Support Policies.

Issue ID(s): PDFJAVA-45237

You can obtain Paid Support Services if you need support on a priority basis, along with the direct access to our Paid Support management team.