RSE Wiki Archive

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Recognizing that we will eventually re-create the Publication Formats as technology changes, we still want to respect the archival aspect of the Series and minimize reformatting where possible.

ISO standard 32000-1 (not Adobe 1.8 nor the 2.0 draft)

Currently also contemplating:

• PDF/A - series of ISO 19005 standards
  • Pros: Will minimize issues such as font availability and lessen the need for future reformatting
  • Cons: Likely more expensive to implement
• PDF/UA - ISO 14289-1
  • Pros: all the usual good reasons to make documents more accessible
  • Cons: relatively new; uncertain as to long term support; unsure if this is necessary given the intent to make HTML docs follow W3C Accessibility Guidelines
  • note also http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/pdf.html

Useful information regarding PDF/A available on PDF/A, PDF for Long-term Preservation -- See “Sustainability Factors”

The Legal Case for PDF/A

PDF/A - from the 3DPDF Consortium

Note (from http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november10/noonan/11noonan.html

 The PDF/A-1 standard provides two levels of compliance:
 
 PDF/A-1a denotes "full compliance" and ensures the preservation of a document's logical 
 structure and content text stream in natural reading order. The text extraction is 
 especially important when the document must be displayed on a mobile device (for example 
 a PDA) or other devices in accordance with Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act. In 
 such cases, the text must be reorganized on the limited screen size (re-flow). This 
 feature is also known as "Tagged PDFs." 
 
 PDF/A-1b denotes "minimal compliance" and ensures that the text (and additional content) 
 can be correctly displayed, but does not guarantee that extracted text will be legible 
 or comprehensible. It therefore does not guarantee compliance with Section 508 [4].