Creating PDF Files

When submitting a PDF file to the Research Collection please make sure

that your file is not write-protected
that fonts are embedded in the file
that you use only letters and numbers in the file name, i.e. no spaces, slashes, umlauts, etc.
Accessibility: The document should also be fully accessible to people with disabilities. Instructions, courses, advice, and services for creating accessible documents can be found on the Accessible Documents and Presentations page.
Long-term preservation: Submit your file in the PDF/A format to enable its readabilty over the long-term. Below you will find instructions on how to create PDF/A files.

1. What is PDF/A?

PDF/A (/A stands for archive) is an ISO standard designed for the long-term archiving of formatted documents. It is intended to remain readable for a longer period than more conventional PDF formats. PDF/A's long-term readability is achieved by dispensing with certain functions and embedding all required objects (e.g. fonts) within the file. PDF/A files can be recognised by the blue bar in Adobe Reader.

2. Recommendation

We recommend using the subtype PDF/A-2b (b stands for basic) to save new documents.
Use PDF/A-2u if searching for special characters is particularly important (use the method with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC).
The PDF/A-1b format is still recommended and older PDF/A documents do not need to be migrated.

3. Comparison of four conversion methods

Converting documents from MS Word or MS PowerPoint to PDF/A (or PDF) can be slow and may result in the loss of links, as well as errors in vector graphs, formulae and special fonts. The following table shows the pros and cons of four methods.

Method	Speed	Quality	Limitations
PDFMaker (recommended method)	Slow	good	Convert to PDF/A-2b or PDF (PDF/A-2u is not available)
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC	Very Slow	good	none
Save as	Fast	References to footnotes no longer react to mouse clicks, but remain readable.	Convert to PDF/A-3a or PDF (no other options for PDF/A)
Adobe Distiller	Fast	Embedded hyperlinks are lost References to footnotes no longer react to mouse clicks, but remain readable.	Convert to PDF/A-1b or PDF (PDF/A-2b is not available)

4. Instructions for the four conversion methods

PDFMaker (recommended method)

A Word or PowerPoint file may be converted to PDF/A-2b (or PDF) using Acrobat PDFMaker.

Open the document in Word or PowerPoint, select the Acrobat tab. (If the Acrobat tab is missing, it is likely that your computer only has the free Adobe Reader software installed.⁴)
To convert to PDF/A-2b select “Preferences”. Then select PDF/A-2b in the dropdown menu “PDF/A Compliance” (once for each installation, see screenshot).
You may either select “Create PDF” in the tab “Acrobat” or “Save as Adobe PDF” in the tab “File”.¹

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

A Word or PowerPoint file may be converted to PDF/A-2b (or PDF/A-2u, or PDF) using Adobe Acrobat Pro or Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Start Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and open your Word or PowerPoint File from within Adobe Acrobat Professional.
In the menu “File” select “Save as …” and choose the desired file type PDF or PDF/A. To convert to PDF/A-2b select “Settings...” and “PDF/A-2b” with “sRGB”.

Save as

A Word or PowerPoint file may be converted to PDF/A-3a (or PDF) by using Word or PowerPoint. We do not recommend this option for creating PDF/A files, since we advise against using the subtype PDF/A-3a.

Select "Save as" from the "File" menu (not "Save as Adobe pdf").
Select "PDF (*.pdf)" for the file type.
Select the underlined text “More options..”, then click on "Options..." and tick " PDF/A-compliant" to create a PDF/A file (subtype 3a with MS Word 365).²

You can create an identical PDF file using Word or PowerPoint with the following commands:

Select “File” from the menu, then select “Export”
Select “Create PDF/XPS Document”
Click on “Options..” and tick "PDF/A compliant"³

Adobe Distiller

If other methods fail because the document is too large or complex, you can specify the URLs of the embedded hyperlinks explicitly in the text and use the Adobe PDF printer (Adobe Distiller).

In MS Word or MS PowerPoint, select the "Print" button in the "File" menu. Below "Printer", select "Adobe PDF". (If the "Adobe PDF" option is missing, it is likely that your computer only has the free Adobe Reader software installed⁴).
To create a PDF/A file, select "Printer properties". In the "Adobe PDF Settings" tab, on the "Default Settings" line, select the "PDF/A-1b: 2005 (RGB)" drop-down menu item (PDF/A-2b is not available).
Select "Print" to create the PDF file.

Check the quality of the PDF File

You should carefully check the quality of the generated PDF/A file. Pay particular attention to links, vector graphics, formulas and special characters.

5. Convert OneNote to PDF

When exporting directly from MS OneNote to PDF/A-2b (or PDF), any hyperlinks embedded in the text will be lost. To prevent this, you should first export the OneNote sections to MS Word. (Limit the OneNote entries to the page width first.) You can then convert the MS Word file to PDF or PDF/A-2b as described above.

Footnotes

¹ Further instructions are provided on the Adobe website (last accessed on 14.08.2025)

² Further instructions on this method can be found on the MS Office website (last accessed on 14.08.2025)

³ This method is also explained on the website of the PDF association (last accessed on 14.08.2025)

⁴ Only the method "save as PDF" does not require any paid software (Adobe Reader is free). The other three methods require licenced Adobe Acrobat products. Members of ETH Zurich can order Adobe Acrobat Pro DC from the IT shop (last accessed on 14.08.2025). Please contact your IT support. See also the Adobe Acrobat XI: Product comparison (last accessed on 14.08.2025).

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