Convert old PDFs to PDF/A

[albgio]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for a way to convert old PDFs into PDF/A.
I know how to create a new PDF/A printing using PDF converter, but I have several files created before and I cannot print them all again.

I've give it a try using BatchConvertEx, but it returns 0 files converted... maybe is not possible to use it to convert PDF to PDF/A or it cannot convert to PDF beacuse it's already in PDF format?

Thanks in advance for your help
Gio

[Rich]

I have referenced a webpage from our Resources | Documentation section that better explain PDF\A support:

http://amyuni.com/WebHelp/Amyuni_Docume ... upport.htm

The link below is from our Forum on how to print PDF to PDF:

http://amyuni.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... bled#p7630

Not all PDF documents can be resaved into the PDF/A specification and this process (resaving in PDF/A) depends on how the fonts were originally created in the source PDF document.

Keep in mind that in order to successfully convert an existing PDF document into a PDF/A format, not only do all the fonts need to be embedded in the document but there is also a special flag for some fonts that needs to be turned on. This flag is not always enabled by the font developer and this is why not all documents can be converted into PDF/A.

If you wish to convert existing PDF documents into PDF/A you can try printing these PDF documents through the PDF Converter and turning on PDF/A in the PDF Converter.

You will also need to make sure that the font embedding options below are also enabled:

* EmbedFonts
* MultilingualSupport
* EmbedLicensedFonts

Hope this helps.

[albgio]

Hi Rich,
thanks for your reply, but I don't think that's exactly what I'm looking for.
I was already able to print PDF/A using PDF Converter through printer "user interface" (I mean while printing a new document, I show a custom print form with "PDF/A" option). Besides, I know I can convert old PDFs in PDF/A using Acrobat or other tools, but I'd like to give to my users a "one shot" conversion feature from PDF to PDF/A. Users should not re-print or re-open each document and save them again. That's why I was looking for something as "BatchConvertEx".
Is it possible, using just PDF Converter, to turn an existing PDF into a PDF/A without any user interaction (except specify source/destination folders)?

TIA
Gio

[Jose]

Hello,

Not all PDFs can be resaved to PDF/A and the success of this mostly depends on how the fonts were originally embedded\created in the source PDF document.

In order to successfully convert an existing PDF document into a PDF/A format, not only do the fonts need to be embedded in the document but there is a special flag on the font that needs to be turned on. This flag is not always enabled and this is why not all documents can be converted into PDF/A.

The code snippet illustrates how to re-print a PDF document through the PDF Converter and turning on PDF/A in the PDF Converter.

cdi = New CDIntfEx.CDIntfEx()
cdi.DriverInit(PrinterName)
cdi.EnablePrinter(LicensedTo, ActivationCode)

cdi.FileNameOptionsEx = &H1 + &H2 + &H10 + &H80 + &H200000 + &H400000 + &H1000000 + &H100000
'More information is about this is avaliabel in our online documentation (link below)
'http://www.amyuni.com/WebHelp/Amyuni_Do ... upport.htm

cdi.ImageOptions = &H20 + &H10
cdi.SetDefaultConfig()

cdi.SetDefaultPrinter()

cdi.DefaultDirectory = "c:\temp"
cdi.DefaultFileName = "c:\temp\new_pdfa_file.pdf"


'//Use the Document object to print PDF document
Dim PDFDoc As New CDIntfEx.Document
PDFDoc.SetLicenseKey(LicensedTo, ActivationCode)
Try

'Here you open the PDF file you want to print
PDFDoc.Open(txtPdfSourceFile.Text)


With PDFDoc
'Print(PrinterName As String, StartPage As Long, EndPage As Long, Copies As Long)
'PrinterName
' Name of printer as it shows in the printers control panel.
' If this parameter is left empty, the document will print to the default printer.
'StartPage
' Page number from which to start printing. The index of the first page is 1.
'EndPage
' Page number at which to stop printing.
'Copies
' Number of copies to print the document.
'.Print "\\Server Name\Printer Name", 1, pdfDoc.PageCount, 1

'Return code
' 0 is success
' -1 is a failure
PDFDoc.Print("", 1, 1, 1)
End With
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try

PDFDoc = Nothing

cdi.FileNameOptionsEx = 0
cdi.DriverEnd()
cdi = Nothing

Thnaks