Every item below is something a pre-flight check can catch in seconds. If your document ticks any of the "problem" boxes, fix it before filing.
| Problem | What it causes | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No extractable text (image-only scan) | Rejection or forced rasterization; clerks can't search the document. | Run OCR, then export text-based PDF/A. |
| Fonts not embedded (often from "smallest file size" export) | Substituted fonts shift line breaks; violates PDF/A. | Re-export with all fonts embedded (default in Word/LibreOffice PDF/A export). |
| No XMP PDF/A identification | Validators treat the file as plain PDF; some portals reject. | Export using a genuine "Save as PDF/A" option — the metadata is written for you. |
| Password protection / encryption | Clerk cannot open; prohibited by PDF/A and most portals. | Re-export with security settings off. |
| Embedded attachments or document JavaScript | Stripped or invalidated in the clerk's workflow; banned by PDF/A-1 and many court policies. | Flatten form fields, remove attachments and document-level JS, re-export. |
| Device color without an output intent | Fails PDF/A color rules; colors may render inconsistently. | PDF/A export adds an sRGB output intent automatically. |
| Transparency in a PDF/A-1 target | Fails PDF/A-1 validation. | Flatten transparency, or target PDF/A-2b instead. |
| PDF 2.0 header | Older validators accept up to PDF 1.7 only. | Re-export as PDF 1.7 unless your court says otherwise. |
| File over the portal's size cap | Upload fails or the submission is rejected. | Downsample scan images; many portals cap single submissions (one state standard: 50 MB total). |
| XFA forms or portfolios | Not valid PDF/A; workflows can't process them. | Flatten to a static PDF and re-export. |