PDF Versions

Learn about PDF versions, PDF/A archival compliance, PDF/X print compliance, and how to choose the right version for your documents.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this article, you’ll be able to:

Understand PDF version differences
Set appropriate PDF versions
Configure PDF/A compliance for archiving
Configure PDF/X compliance for printing
Choose the right version for your needs
Handle version-specific features

PDF Versions

###PDF Version Overview

using Scryber.PDF;

// Available PDF versions
public enum PDFVersion
{
    PDF11,  // PDF 1.1
    PDF12,  // PDF 1.2
    PDF13,  // PDF 1.3
    PDF14,  // PDF 1.4 (Acrobat 5)
    PDF15,  // PDF 1.5 (Acrobat 6)
    PDF16,  // PDF 1.6 (Acrobat 7)
    PDF17,  // PDF 1.7 (Acrobat 8-11)
    PDF20   // PDF 2.0 (ISO 32000-2)
}

Setting PDF Version

using Scryber.Components;
using Scryber.PDF;

var doc = Document.ParseDocument("template.html");

// Set PDF version
doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;  // Most common

// Generate
doc.SaveAsPDF(stream);

Version Selection Guide

PDF 1.4 (Acrobat 5)

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF14;

Features:

Basic encryption (40-bit, 128-bit)
Transparency support
Tagged PDF (accessibility)
Form fields
Required for PDF/A-1

Use when:

PDF/A-1 compliance needed
Maximum compatibility required
Targeting older systems

PDF 1.7 (Acrobat 8-11)

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;

Features:

256-bit AES encryption
Rich media (audio, video)
3D content
Enhanced forms
Better compression
Default for most applications

Use when:

Modern PDF generation (recommended)
Enhanced security needed
No legacy compatibility requirements

PDF 2.0 (ISO 32000-2)

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF20;

Features:

Latest standard
Improved security
Better accessibility
Modern features

Use when:

Cutting-edge features needed
Future-proofing documents
Viewer support confirmed

PDF/A Compliance

PDF/A is a standard for archival documents, ensuring long-term readability.

PDF/A-1b (Basic)

using Scryber.PDF;

var doc = Document.ParseDocument("template.html");

// PDF/A-1b configuration
doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF14;  // Required
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA1B;

// PDF/A requirements:
// - All fonts must be embedded
// - No encryption allowed
// - No external dependencies
// - Color profiles required

// Generate
doc.SaveAsPDF(stream);

PDF/A-1b Requirements:

✅ All fonts embedded
✅ No encryption
✅ No external references
✅ Device-independent color
⚠️ No transparency

PDF/A-2b

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;

Improvements over PDF/A-1:

✅ JPEG2000 compression
✅ Transparency support
✅ Layers
✅ Digital signatures
✅ Embedded files (attachments)

PDF/A-3b

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA3B;

Improvements over PDF/A-2:

✅ Embed any file format
✅ Structured data (XML, JSON)
✅ Invoice formats (ZUGFeRD, Factur-X)

PDF/X Compliance

PDF/X is a standard for printing and prepress.

PDF/X-1a

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF13;
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFX1A;

// PDF/X-1a requirements:
// - CMYK or spot colors only (no RGB)
// - All fonts embedded
// - No encryption
// - Output intent profile required

Use for:

Print-ready documents
Professional printing
Color-critical work

PDF/X-3

doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF13;
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFX3;

Improvements over PDF/X-1a:

✅ Allows RGB and LAB color spaces
✅ ICC profiles for color management
✅ More flexible color workflow

Practical Examples

Example 1: Archive-Compliant Report

using Scryber.Components;
using Scryber.PDF;
using System;
using System.IO;

public class ArchiveReportGenerator
{
    public void GenerateArchiveCompliantReport(ReportData data, Stream output)
    {
        var doc = Document.ParseDocument("report-template.html");

        // Configure for PDF/A-2b compliance
        doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;
        doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;

        // Metadata (required for PDF/A)
        doc.Info.Title = $"Annual Report {data.Year}";
        doc.Info.Author = data.CompanyName;
        doc.Info.Subject = "Financial Report";
        doc.Info.CreationDate = DateTime.Now;

        // NO ENCRYPTION for PDF/A
        doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = null;

        // Font embedding (required for PDF/A)
        doc.RenderOptions.FontSubsetting = false;  // Embed full fonts

        // Bind data
        doc.Params["report"] = data;

        try
        {
            doc.SaveAsPDF(output);
            Console.WriteLine("PDF/A-2b compliant report generated");
        }
        catch (PDFException ex)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"PDF/A compliance error: {ex.Message}");
            throw;
        }
    }
}

// Usage
var generator = new ArchiveReportGenerator();
var reportData = new ReportData
{
    Year = 2024,
    CompanyName = "Acme Corporation"
};

using (var output = new FileStream("annual-report.pdf", FileMode.Create))
{
    generator.GenerateArchiveCompliantReport(reportData, output);
}

Example 2: Print-Ready Brochure

public class PrintBrochureGenerator
{
    public void GeneratePrintReadyBrochure(BrochureData data, Stream output)
    {
        var doc = Document.ParseDocument("brochure-template.html");

        // Configure for PDF/X-3
        doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF13;
        doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFX3;

        // Print metadata
        doc.Info.Title = $"{data.ProductName} Brochure";
        doc.Info.Creator = "Marketing Department";

        // NO ENCRYPTION for PDF/X
        doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = null;

        // Embed all fonts (required for PDF/X)
        doc.RenderOptions.FontSubsetting = false;

        // Bind data
        doc.Params["brochure"] = data;

        doc.SaveAsPDF(output);
        Console.WriteLine("PDF/X-3 compliant brochure generated");
    }
}

Example 3: Version-Specific Feature Handling

public class VersionAwareGenerator
{
    public void GenerateDocument(DocumentOptions options, Stream output)
    {
        var doc = Document.ParseDocument("template.html");

        // Set version based on requirements
        if (options.RequiresArchiving)
        {
            // PDF/A for archiving
            doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;
            doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;
            doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = null;  // No encryption in PDF/A
        }
        else if (options.RequiresPrinting)
        {
            // PDF/X for printing
            doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF13;
            doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFX3;
            doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = null;  // No encryption in PDF/X
        }
        else if (options.RequiresHighSecurity)
        {
            // Modern PDF with encryption
            doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;
            doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = new PDFSecurityOptions
            {
                UserPassword = options.UserPassword,
                OwnerPassword = options.OwnerPassword,
                AllowPrinting = options.AllowPrinting,
                AllowCopying = false
            };
        }
        else
        {
            // Standard modern PDF
            doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;
        }

        doc.SaveAsPDF(output);
    }
}

public class DocumentOptions
{
    public bool RequiresArchiving { get; set; }
    public bool RequiresPrinting { get; set; }
    public bool RequiresHighSecurity { get; set; }
    public string UserPassword { get; set; }
    public string OwnerPassword { get; set; }
    public bool AllowPrinting { get; set; }
}

Feature Compatibility

Version-Specific Features

Feature	Min Version	Notes
Basic encryption	PDF 1.4	128-bit
AES encryption	PDF 1.6	256-bit in PDF 1.7+
Transparency	PDF 1.4	Not in PDF/A-1
Layers (OCG)	PDF 1.5
Rich media	PDF 1.7
Attachments	PDF 1.4	Allowed in PDF/A-3

Compliance Restrictions

Feature	PDF/A	PDF/X	Standard
Encryption	❌	❌	✅
External refs	❌	❌	✅
Font embedding	Required	Required	Optional
Transparency	PDF/A-2+	✅	✅
JavaScript	❌	❌	✅
Multimedia	❌	❌	✅

Try It Yourself

Exercise 1: Compliance Tester

Create a tool that:

Generates same document in different versions
Tests PDF/A compliance
Tests PDF/X compliance
Compares file sizes
Documents compatibility issues

Exercise 2: Version Selector

Build a version selector that:

Analyzes document requirements
Recommends appropriate version
Checks feature compatibility
Validates configuration

Exercise 3: Compliance Validator

Implement a validator that:

Checks if document meets PDF/A requirements
Verifies font embedding
Checks for external references
Reports compliance issues

Common Pitfalls

❌ Encryption with PDF/A

// PDF/A doesn't allow encryption
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;
doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = new PDFSecurityOptions
{
    UserPassword = "secret"  // ❌ Will fail!
};

✅ Solution:

// No encryption for PDF/A
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;
doc.RenderOptions.SecurityOptions = null;  // ✅

❌ Wrong Version for Compliance

// PDF/A-1 requires PDF 1.4
doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF17;  // ❌ Wrong!
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA1B;

✅ Solution:

// Correct version for PDF/A-1
doc.RenderOptions.PDFVersion = PDFVersion.PDF14;  // ✅
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA1B;

❌ Not Embedding Fonts

// PDF/A requires full font embedding
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;
doc.RenderOptions.FontSubsetting = true;  // ❌ Subsetting not ideal

✅ Solution:

// Embed complete fonts for PDF/A
doc.RenderOptions.Conformance = PDFConformance.PDFA2B;
doc.RenderOptions.FontSubsetting = false;  // ✅ Full embedding

Version Selection Checklist

Requirements analyzed (archival, printing, security)
Appropriate version chosen
Compliance configured if needed
Encryption compatibility checked
Font embedding configured
External references avoided for compliance
Tested with target PDF viewer
Validated against compliance standard

Best Practices

Use PDF 1.7 by Default - Modern and widely supported
PDF/A for Archiving - Long-term preservation
PDF/X for Printing - Professional print workflows
No Encryption with Compliance - PDF/A and PDF/X
Embed All Fonts - Required for compliance
Test Compliance - Validate with tools
Document Requirements - Know your needs upfront
Version Consistency - Don’t mix incompatible features

Compliance Validation

External Tools

For PDF/A:

VeraPDF (free, open-source validator)
Adobe Preflight (Acrobat Pro)
PDF-Tools (various validators)

For PDF/X:

Adobe Preflight (Acrobat Pro)
Enfocus PitStop
callas pdfToolbox

Basic Validation

// After generation, validate using external tools
// Example: VeraPDF command-line
// verapdf --format text document.pdf

Next Steps

Security - Encryption and permissions
Optimization & Performance - File size and speed
Production & Deployment - Production configuration

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