So I have a question for Al, and I believe there may be a few others on the
List that were involved in the PDF/A efforts. I was participating in this in
the early stages and then it got mired in details that I didn't feel I could
add anything to, so I bowed out.
As I recall, a big piece of this was that ADOBE was agreeing to put a copy
of the source code essentially "in escrow" for a period of 75 years to
ensure persistent accessibility to documents/records stored in PDF/A for
this extended period of time. I further recall this being one of the issues
that NARA was pushing for, primarily because the 75 year period pops up
quite a bit in Federal Arenas for retention.
Here's where my recollections get a little fuzzy though... is PDF/A based
on some specific VERSION of Adobe Acrobat (say 6 or 7, whatever is current
at the time of the "agreement") and IF IT IS, how do they plan to
accommodate changes that happen during the 75 year window?
As many of us know it's not a "sure thing" that you can view a pre-version
5 PDF file with any of the 2 commonly available version of the free Adobe
PDF viewers, as you will have problems with some fonts, layouts, and other
aspects of the files... and we also know when a file is distilled into PDF
from either a PC or Mac environment, they may not always portray exactly
across platforms, even if they WERE created with the same version of Adobe
PDF.
So, the question is WHAT is PDF/A? Is it an independent product, with a
specific version assigned to it that remains unchanged over an established
number of years, or is it a methodology for capturing something in PDF
format that will allow persistent access with ANY version of PDF reader
going forward in time, or is it some combination of both?
Larry
On 6/2/05, Alan A Andolsen CMC CRM <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> From the NISO [National Information Standards Organization] Online:
>
> "PDF Archival Approved"
>
> "In balloting that closed on May 23, ISO/DIS 19005-1, the PDF Archival
> standard, Document Management -- Electronic Document File Format for
> Long-term Preservation -- Part 1: Use of PDF 1.4 (PDF/A-1), received
> unanimous approval to become an International Standard. This new
> standard defines a file format based on Adobe's PDF that provides a way
> to represent electronic documents in a manner that preserves their
> visual appearance over time, independent of the tools and systems used
> for creating, storing, or rendering the files.
>
> "Using PDF/A is expected to bring about cost savings, vendor
> independence, system change control, and flexible distribution.
>
> "Upon publication in approximately one month, the standard will be
> available from ISO."
>
> --
>
> Alan A Andolsen CMC CRM
> President
> Naremco Services Inc.
> 60 East 42nd Street
> New York, NY 10165
>
> Voice: 212-697-0290
> Fax: 212-986-1736
>
> MailTo:[log in to unmask]
> URL: http://www.naremco.com
>
> List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
> Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
>
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
|
