Saving your thesis in PDF/A format

red thesis banner

On this page

All SFU theses, projects, and extended essays must be converted to PDF/A before being uploaded to the Thesis Registration System. This guide will explain how to save your document in PDF/A format using Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and LaTeX.

PDF/A is an ISO-standardized version of the Portable Document Format (PDF) specialized for the digital preservation and archiving of electronic documents. PDF/A differs from PDF by prohibiting features unsuitable for long-term archiving, such as font linking and encryption.

 Need help? Contact the Assistant for Theses

Save as PDF/A in Word

For SFU students, staff, and faculty, MS Word is available on computers in labs on all three campuses.

All current SFU students, staff, and faculty are also eligible to install Microsoft 365 (including Word) for free on up to 5 individual-use devices, such as laptop, tablet, or smartphone. See SFU IT Software Catalogue - Microsoft 365 for more information and software downloads. 

Microsoft Word for Windows

Microsoft Word for Windows gives users the option to save their document as a PDF/A using the following steps: 

Step 1

Once you are ready to save your finished document, open the file in MS Word and select "Save as."

MS Word save screen

 

Step 2

Select an appropriate destination folder, then Save as Type "PDF."

MS Word drop down menu screen, highlighting the option to save as PDF

 

Step 3

Click on "Options"

MS Word save screen, highlighting Options button

 

Step 4

Under "PDF Options," check off the box "PDF/A compliant," then click "OK."

MS Word PDF Options screen, highlighting the check box for 'PDF/A compliant'

 

Step 5

Click "Save."

MS Word save screen

 

    Step 6

    Check that the PDF/A conversion was successful: Open your newly created PDF/A file with Adobe Acrobat Pro (see below for information on accessing Adobe Acrobat Pro). A blue bar will appear when document is opened, indicating that the document is PDF/A compliant. 

    Check the entire file to make sure everything appears correctly.

     

     

    A blue bar that displays in Adobe Acrobat Pro when opening a PDF/A compliant document. Text reads: This file claims compliance with the PDF/A standard and has been opened read-only to prevent modification.

     

    Microsoft Word for Mac

    There is no option to save as PDF/A using Microsoft Word for Mac. Instead, save the document as PDF, then follow the steps below to convert PDF to PDF/A using Adobe Acrobat Pro. 

    Save as PDF/A for LaTeX users

    There is no option to save as PDF/A using LaTeX. Instead, save the document as PDF, then follow the steps below to convert PDF to PDF/A using Adobe Acrobat Pro. 

    Convert PDF to PDF/A using Adobe Acrobat Pro

    Note: Saving to PDF/A requires the Pro version of Adobe Acrobat. 

    For SFU students, staff, and faculty, Adobe Acrobat Pro is available on computers in labs on all three campuses. Remote access to computer lab software is also available via remote desktop (requires an SFU VPN). See SFU IT - Remote access for instructions on how to access remote desktop. In the event that you cannot get access via remote desktop, please Contact the Assistant for Theses. 

    Free download of Adobe software is also available to verified SFU staff and faculty, which may include teaching assistants, sessionals, and research assistants. See Adobe for faculty, staff and departments for more information (page requires SFU log-in to view). 

    Adobe Acrobat Pro allows Windows and Mac users to convert PDF documents to PDF/A using the following steps: 

    Step 1

    Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat Pro, then select "Save As."

    Adobe Acrobat Pro save screen

     

    Step 2

    Select appropriate destination folder, then select "PDF/A (*.pdf)" from the "Save as type" (Windows) or "Format" (Mac) drop-down menu.

    Adobe Acrobat Pro save screen, highlighting drop down 'save as type' menu

     

    Step 3

    Click on "Settings."

    Adobe Acrobat Pro save screen, highlighting the Settings button

     

    Step 4

    In Preflight window, select "Save as PDF/A-1b," then click "OK."

    Note: different PDF/A types include varying features for content preservation. PDF/A-1b is the required format for SFU theses, projects, and extended essays. 

     

    Adobe Acrobat Pro Preflight: Convert to PDF/A screen, highlighting the 'Save as PDF/A-1a' button and 'Save' button

     

    Step 5

    Click "Save."

    Adobe Acrobat Pro save screen, highlighting Save button

     

    Step 6

    Check that the PDF/A conversion was successful: A blue bar will appear when document is opened indicating that the document is PDF/A compliant.

    Check the entire file to make sure everything appears correctly.

     

    A blue bar that displays in Adobe Acrobat Pro when opening a PDF/A compliant document. Text reads: This file claims compliance with the PDF/A standard and has been opened read-only to prevent modification.

     

    Troubleshooting

    Sometimes errors will occur when saving as PDF/A, including changes to formatting, fonts, images, etc. Students must review their file to check that everything displays as desired.

    If you encounter issues with your document formatting or the conversion process when saving as PDF/A, review the troubleshooting tips below or Contact the Assistant for Theses.

    Images not rendering correctly? 

    Saving as PDF/A with MS Word:

    • Try saving as PDF, then converting to PDF/A using Adobe Acrobat Pro rather than saving as PDF/A directly from the Word document.
    • Problems with image conversion caused by cross referencing:
      • Remove the cross referencing by highlighting the text of the affected section, then use keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F9 (for Windows users) or Command+6 (for Mac users). This should remove problematic cross referencing, so when Word document is saved as PDF/A following the instructions above the images will display correctly.

    Error message when converting from PDF to PDF/A? 

    Converting to PDF/A with Adobe Acrobat Pro:

    • When converting from PDF to PDF/A, instead of using the "Save as" option, go to "Tools" and in the "Protect & Standardize" section, select "Print Production". In the right hand menu, click on "Preflight". In the "Profiles" tab of the Preflight window, use the "PDF/A" drop-down (Windows) or "PDF/A compliance" drop-down (Mac) to select "Convert to PDF/A-1b". Then click on "Analyze and fix". Once the PDF/A version has been generated, check the entire file to make sure everything appears correctly.