Prevent missing or partially embedded fonts from making an archive copy unreliable.
- Why an archive cannot depend on fonts from one computer: PDF/A expects the resources needed to reproduce the page to travel with the document.
- Find the font that blocks PDF/A conversion: Subsetting is often acceptable, but unlicensed, corrupted or unusual fonts can still block conversion.
- Fix embedding at the authoring source: Inspect several pages that use bold, italic, symbols and non-Latin characters.
Use these checks before completing Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong.
Why an archive cannot depend on fonts from one computer
PDF/A expects the resources needed to reproduce the page to travel with the document. Fonts that exist only on the creator's computer break that promise.
Subsetting is often acceptable, but unlicensed, corrupted or unusual fonts can still block conversion.
Decision table for Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong
| Checkpoint | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Why an archive cannot depend on fonts from one computer | PDF/A expects the resources needed to reproduce the page to travel with the document. |
| Find the font that blocks PDF/A conversion | Subsetting is often acceptable, but unlicensed, corrupted or unusual fonts can still block conversion. |
| Fix embedding at the authoring source | Inspect several pages that use bold, italic, symbols and non-Latin characters. |
Find the font that blocks PDF/A conversion
- Use fonts that permit embedding in the source document.
- Export from the authoring application with font embedding enabled.
- Convert and then check the resulting PDF/A file.
- Replace problematic fonts in the source rather than repeatedly repairing the PDF.
Workflow graph for Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong
Fix embedding at the authoring source
Inspect several pages that use bold, italic, symbols and non-Latin characters. Successful validation is necessary, but visual comparison catches a substituted glyph or changed line break that still looks technically acceptable.
Review form for Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong
Tools to put “Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong” into practice
After replacing or embedding the source font, use PDF to PDF/A to create a new archive copy and check its font and conformance signals. The guide to PDF/A requirements explains why self-contained resources matter.
Keep reading after Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong
After completing the checks for Embedded Fonts and PDF/A: What Goes Wrong, continue with what PDF/A is for the related PDFBEAR workflow. Check profile, font and preservation details in the Library of Congress PDF/A format record.
Is font subsetting allowed in PDF/A?
Subsetting is commonly allowed when every glyph used by the document is embedded. The problem is a missing, corrupt or embedding-restricted font resource.
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