PDF/A vs. PDF: Using OCR text recognition and PDF conversion tools to improve document processing efficiency
People often come into contact with PDF format files in their daily work and study. PDF has become a popular choice for document exchange due to its stable format and wide compatibility. But you may have noticed that there is also a PDF/A format that occasionally appears. Today, let's take a closer look at the differences between PDF/A and PDF, as well as their unique uses.
Outline
- Do you understand the difference between PDF/A and PDF?
- What are the types of PDF/A?
- Tips for Converting PDF to PDF/A
- Convert PDF to PDF/A
- PDF/A to PDF conversion
- PDF Scanned Copy: Things You Don't Know
- pdftopdf.ai online text extraction tool
- Summary
Do you understand the difference between PDF/A and PDF?
Let's first understand the differences between PDF/A and PDF from several aspects.
Font embedding: PDF/A requires that fonts used in documents must be embedded in files, so that regardless of which system the document is viewed on, as long as there is font information in the document, the text can be displayed correctly. But regular PDFs are not so strict in this regard. If the system viewing the document does not install the fonts used in the document, there may be font display errors or garbled text. For example, if you create a PDF file using a special font on your own computer and send it to someone else, and the other person's computer does not have the font installed, the effect you see may be different from what you originally designed.
Metadata retention: PDF/A forces the embedding of metadata (such as author, creation date, modification history, etc.) into documents, which is crucial for document management and tracking. However, ordinary PDFs do not place as much emphasis on preserving metadata, and over time, these important information may be lost. Imagine an important contract that, after a few years, you have no way of knowing who created it or how many times it has been modified. Isn't it troublesome?
Color management: PDF/A stipulates that the color space must be device independent, which ensures that the colors displayed in documents on different devices and platforms are consistent and predictable. Ordinary PDFs may use device specific color spaces, which can result in color differences for the same PDF file across different displays or printers. For example, if you create a PDF promotional poster for a design company and the colors appear bright on your computer, but appear dull when printed, it may be a color management issue.
Multimedia embedding: Ordinary PDFs can contain multimedia elements such as audio, video, JavaScript, etc., making the document more vivid and interesting. However, PDF/A imposes restrictions on the use of multimedia elements to ensure the integrity and stability of archives, mainly focusing on static content. For example, some e-books may not have those cool animation effects if they are in PDF/A format, but they can ensure that they can be opened and read normally for a long time in the future.
LZW algorithm: Early PDF formats often used LZW algorithm to compress files and reduce file size. However, considering patent issues, compatibility, and long-term storage reliability, PDF/A prohibits the use of LZW algorithm and instead requires the use of open and standardized compression methods. Although this may make PDF/A files slightly larger, it can ensure the readability and usability of the files in the future.
What are the types of PDF/A?
PDF/A - 1： This is the earliest PDF/A version, based on PDF 1.4. It pays special attention to the visual integrity and content preservation of documents, so it prohibits some functions that may affect long-term preservation, such as encryption, audio, and video. This version is suitable for scenarios that require high stability in document appearance and content, such as important legal documents and historical archives.
PDF/A - 2： On the basis of maintaining archive quality, PDF/A-2 provides more flexibility. It allows documents to have layers, supports JPEG2000 format images, and can also use advanced electronic signatures. This is very convenient for situations where more elements need to be added to the document or more complex operations need to be performed, such as design drawings, electronic contracts, etc.
PDF/A - 3： The PDF/A-3 version based on PDF 1.7 is more powerful, allowing embedding any file format, including non PDF/A files, in PDF/A documents. This makes it particularly suitable for archiving documents that contain non-standard or dynamic content, such as research reports or project documents containing multimedia materials.
Tips for Converting PDF to PDF/A
So how do PDF and PDF/A convert to each other? Next, let's take a look one by one. First, let's talk about how to convert PDF to PDF/A.
Convert PDF to PDF/A
Here are three tools that can easily convert PDF to PDF/A:
- Acrobat: If you have Acrobat software (note that it is a paid subscription Acrobat Pro), the operation is very simple. After opening or creating a PDF file, click on "Tools" - "PDF Standards" - "Save as PDF/A", and then select the save location.
- FreePDFConvert.com: This is an online conversion tool. After entering the website, upload your PDF file, select the desired PDF/A type, click convert, and download the file after the conversion is complete.
- ONLYOOFFICE Desktop Editor: With this editor, you can directly create PDF/A documents from text documents. Click on the "File" tab - "Save As", select "Portable Document/A (*. pdf)" in the pop-up window and save.
PDF/A to PDF conversion
Acrobat is a very versatile tool that many friends should be familiar with and using. It can not only convert PDF to PDF/A, but also PDF/A to PDF is not a problem. Let's take a look at how to convert PDF/A to PDF using Acrobat and two other tools.
- Acrobat: There are two methods. The first method is to click the "Enable Modification" button at the top of the page when opening a PDF/A file (after clicking, the document no longer conforms to the PDF/A format); The second option is to click on "Pre press Check" - "Configuration Files" - "PDF/A Compliance" - "Delete PDF/A Information" in the advanced menu. However, it should be noted that the converted files in Acrobat require a Premium subscription to edit.
- MiniTool PDF Editor: First download and install this editor. After installation, select the "PDF/A to PDF" function on the left panel, click "Add Files" to select the PDF/A file to convert, and then click the "Start" button to complete the conversion. This software has a free trial version, but long-term use requires purchasing a subscription.
- ONLYOOFFICE PDF Converter: Click on "Select File" to select the PDF/A document you want to convert, click "Open" - "Convert", and then click "Download" after the conversion is complete. This tool is free, and the downloaded file can be edited in the ONLYOOFFICE desktop editor or saved as a PDF.
PDF Scanned Copy: Things You Don't Know
After delving deeper into PDF/A and PDF, let's talk about PDF scans. Many people think that scanned PDF documents are just regular PDFs, but in fact, they are not. PDF scans are generated by scanning paper documents, and their biggest advantage is that they can perfectly preserve the layout and format of the original document. For files with high format requirements such as contracts and certificates, using PDF scans is very reliable. Moreover, scanned documents can to some extent protect the content of files from being modified arbitrarily, with strong security and confidentiality, and are also convenient to transmit.
However, its drawbacks are also evident. The scanned PDF file is usually in image format, and the text inside cannot be directly edited. If you want to modify the content inside, you need to use professional OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software to extract the text first. However, OCR recognition is not 100% accurate, especially when encountering handwritten text, complex tables, or stained documents, the recognition effect will be greatly reduced. In addition, the file size of scanned documents is often large, and storage and transmission are resource intensive.
pdftopdf.ai online text extraction tool
Do you have any useful text extraction tools? Actually, there are some. You can try pdftopdf.ai. Currently, I have uploaded multiple PDF scanned documents for processing and testing. For most ordinary text scanned documents, this tool can extract content very well. However, for scanned documents with fancy content and messy layout, the effect is not particularly good, and some parts of the extraction are not satisfactory. It can be said that it can meet the text extraction needs of 90% of users.
Another friendly aspect of PDF to PDF is that new users can process a file for free. If they feel this is not enough, they can share it with friends and both parties can receive free page processing!
By the way, some friends not only need to extract scanned text, but also need to translate non-native language files. It's okay, PDF to PDF can also be easily achieved. Whether the first file needs to extract scanned text or translate, you can enjoy free processing. Come and give it a try!
Summary
Through the above introduction, I believe everyone has a clear understanding of the differences, uses, and conversion methods between PDF/A and PDF. In practical use, we need to choose the appropriate format based on specific needs. If long-term archiving is required to ensure document stability and integrity, PDF/A format is the best choice; If it's just regular document sharing and reading, regular PDF format can meet the needs.
With the continuous development of technology, we hope that PDF/A and PDF formats can play a greater role in more fields, and we also hope that everyone can be more proficient in processing documents. Have you encountered any problems while using PDF/A and PDF formats? Welcome to leave a comment and share in the comment section! If you think this article is helpful to you, don't forget to like, share, and bookmark it!
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