Create PDF in PDF/A format

[maxmesa]

Hello.

I have to create a PDF in PDF/a format.

Is it possible in Autocad, without using other external program (like PDF creator)?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Just select the name of printer/plotter to "DWG to PDF.pc3" for more info kind see the screencast I attach below.

Cheers!

[maxmesa]

That you did,is a simple PDF file. Instead I have to create a PDF/A file, like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/A.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I think autocad don't have that kind of output you want but I'm not sure. But the Pdf reader that i'am using "nuance" it has that format when you "save as" it.

Please see attach image.

[mjung]

I realize this is an old post that has been marked with a solution but I was wondering if there was a way to create the PDF/A format without using a 3rd party application. I'm surprised that this issue hasn't appeared more often than this single thread considering it has had over 1,100 views.

[RobDraw]

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@mjung wrote:

I'm surprised that this issue hasn't appeared more often than this single thread considering it has had over 1,100 views.

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It's not a common request. The amount of views may be due to curiosity as to what PDF/A might be.

I've been making PDFs of drawings for many years and only recently was asked about converting to PDF/A and that was only because a client was having problems converting. It's not that common.

[pendean]

>>>...without using a 3rd party application...<<<
Quick answer: no.

[mjung]

Thanks for the input!

Like you today was our first request for the PDF/A format in quite a few years of providing PDF files to our clients.  I have to say I have definitely learned a lot about the format today in trying to figure out how to get what they requested. 

Anyway here is our experience trying to convert PDF's that are created with the default DWG to PDF print drivers found in AutoCAD:

• Adobe Acrobat can't create the PDF/A format without returning a bunch of non-compliant errors. Granted this is an older version so maybe the newer versions work fine. 
• Bluebeam works for most of the files we tried. Although we have run into some files that need to be converted to a raster format first then to PDF/A.
• PDF Creator can create them but the file size is huge and take a while to fully render a page in Acrobat Reader. 
• Wasn't familiar with the "Nuance" product mentioned above and didn't install. So I can't comment on how it works.