PDFlib 8 Windows COM/.NET Tutorial

Table 10.7 Operations which must be avoided or are restricted to achieve PDF/A conformance
item
annotations
attachments
form fields
actions and
JavaScript
images
ICC profiles
page sizes
templates
transparency
transparency groups
security
PDF version /
compatibility
PDF import (PDI)
metadata
external content
file size
Prohibited or restricted PDFlib functions and options for PDF/A conformance
create_annotation( ): annotations with type=FileAttachment and Movie must be avoided; for
text annotations the zoom and rotate options must not be set to true. The annotcolor and
interiorcolor options must only be used if an RGB output intent has been specified. The
fillcolor option must only be used if an RGB or CMYK output intent has been specified, and a
corresponding rgb or cmyk color space must be used. The opacity option must not be used.
begin/end_document( ): the attachments option must be avoided.
create_field( ) and create_fieldgroup( ) for creating form fields must be avoided.
create_action( ): actions with type=Hide, Launch, Movie, ResetForm, ImportData, JavaScript
must be avoided; for type=name only NextPage, PrevPage, FirstPage, and LastPage are allowed.
The OPI-1.3 and OPI-2.0 options and interpolate=true option in load_image( ) must be avoided.
ICC profiles loaded explicitly with load_iccprofile( ) or implicitly with load_image( ) and ICCtagged
images must comply to ICC specification ICC.1:1998-09 and its addendum ICC.1A:1999-04
(internal profile version 2.x).
There are no strict page size limits in PDF/A. However, it is recommended to keep the page size
(width and height, and all box entries) in the range 3...14400 points (508 cm) to avoid problems
with Acrobat.
The OPI-1.3 and OPI-2.0 options in begin_template_ext( ) must be avoided.
Soft masks for images must be avoided: the masked option for load_image( ) must be avoided unless
the mask refers to a 1-bit image. Images with implicit transparency (alpha channel) are not
allowed; they must be loaded with the ignoremask option of load_image( ).
The opacityfill and opacitystroke options for create_gstate( ) must be avoided unless they
have a value of 1; if blendmode is used it must be Normal.
The opacity option in create_annotation( ) must be avoided.
The transparencygroup option of begin/end_page_ext( ), begin_template_ext( ), and open_pdi_
page( ) is not allowed.
The userpassword, masterpassword, and permissions options in begin_document( ) must be
avoided.
PDF/A is based on PDF 1.4. Operations that require PDF 1.5 or above (such as layers) must be avoided.
Imported documents must conform to a PDF/A level which is compatible to the output document,
and must have been prepared according to a compatible output intent (see Table 10.10).
All predefined XMP schemas (see PDFlib API Reference) can be used. In order to use other schemas
(extension schemas) the corresponding description must be embedded using the PDF/A extension
schema container schema.
The reference option in begin_template_ext( ) and open_pdi_page( ) must be avoided.
The file size of the generated PDF document must not exceed 2 GB, and the number of PDF objects
must be smaller than 8.388.607. See Section 3.1.5, »Large PDF Documents«, page 68, for
more details about these limits.
262 Chapter 10: PDF Versions and Standards (Edition for COM, .NET, and REALbasic)