Generate PDF/A Compliant Document in Java

generate-pdf-a-compliant-docuement.java

import com.lowagie.text.Document;
import com.lowagie.text.Font;
import com.lowagie.text.FontFactory;
import com.lowagie.text.Paragraph;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfAConformanceLevel;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfAWriter;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.PdfReader;
import com.lowagie.text.pdf.ICC_Profile;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.InputStream;

public class PdfAExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Step 1: Create Document with PDF/A settings
        Document document = new Document();
        
        try (InputStream iccProfileStream = PdfAExample.class.getResourceAsStream("/sRGB_ICC_profile.icc")) {
            // Step 2: Load ICC profile for color management (required for PDF/A)
            ICC_Profile icc = ICC_Profile.getInstance(iccProfileStream);
            
            // Step 3: Initialize PDF/A writer with conformance level
            PdfAWriter writer = PdfAWriter.getInstance(
                document,
                new FileOutputStream("pdfa-document.pdf"),
                PdfAConformanceLevel.PDF_A_1B
            );
            
            // Step 4: Set PDF/A metadata and output intent
            writer.setPdfVersion(PdfAWriter.PDF_VERSION_1_4);
            writer.createXmpMetadata();
            writer.setOutputIntents("Custom", "", "http://www.color.org", "sRGB IEC61966-2.1", icc);
            
            document.open();
            
            // Step 5: Add content (must use embedded fonts)
            Font font = FontFactory.getFont(
                "fonts/FreeSans.ttf", // Path to embedded font (required for PDF/A)
                BaseFont.IDENTITY_H,
                BaseFont.EMBEDDED,
                12
            );
            
            document.add(new Paragraph("PDF/A-1B Compliant Document", font));
            document.add(new Paragraph("This document meets archival standards.", font));
            
            // Step 6: Close resources
            document.close();
            iccProfileStream.close();
            
            System.out.println("PDF/A document created successfully!");
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}