Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Yes. The PDF/UA (ISO 14289) standard explicitly requires all fonts to be embedded to ensure consistent rendering and accessibility across assistive technologies.

PDF accessibility failures are commonly caused by missing fonts, partial font embedding, broken font encoding, or non-standard Type 3 fonts. These issues prevent screen readers from accurately interpreting text and violate PDF/UA requirements.

Improperly embedded or encoded fonts prevent screen readers from correctly mapping characters to speech output. This results in unreadable or skipped content for users with visual disabilities.

Yes. Font fixing using callas technology is free for PDFix Desktop users, providing font repair at no additional cost.

PDFix automatically fixes: Glyph mapping errors Missing or unembedded fonts Partial font embedding Broken font encoding

Yes. The PDFix SDK allows developers and enterprises to integrate automated font fixing into large-scale PDF processing pipelines.

No. Proper font embedding ensures visual consistency across devices, printers, and assistive technologies without altering layout or design.

After running the Fix Fonts action in PDFix Desktop, you can run built-in PDF validation to confirm that all PDF/UA font requirements are satisfied.

Section 508 PDF compliance means ensuring PDF documents used by federal agencies, contractors, or funding recipients are accessible to people with disabilities, following WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA success criteria.

All U.S. federal agencies, federal contractors, and organizations receiving federal funding must comply with Section 508 when creating, publishing, or procuring electronic documents, including PDFs.

Section 508 requires PDFs to conform to WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA and align with PDF/UA technical requirements to ensure screen reader compatibility and proper document structure.

No. Section 508 applies to federal agencies and contractors, while ADA Title II applies to state and local governments. Both require accessible PDFs but follow different legal frameworks and WCAG versions.

Federal agencies can automate Section 508 compliance using tools like PDFix that provide AI-powered auto-tagging, WCAG and PDF/UA validation, intelligent error fixing, and batch processing.

While Section 508 references WCAG 2.0, PDF/UA is widely used as the technical standard to ensure PDFs meet structural and assistive technology requirements necessary for compliance.

Section 508 compliance is an ongoing requirement. Federal agencies must ensure all newly created, updated, and procured PDFs are accessible at all times, including ahead of the 2026 compliance enforcement focus.

ADA Title II digital accessibility requires public universities, colleges, and other state or local public education institutions to ensure all digital content, including PDFs and course materials, is accessible to people with disabilities under WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA.

ADA Title II applies to public universities, state colleges, community colleges, public graduate schools, multi-campus state systems, and public online education programs operated by state or local governments.

Public educational institutions serving populations of 50,000 or more must comply by April 24, 2026. Institutions serving fewer than 50,000 people must comply by April 26, 2027.

ADA Title II requires academic PDFs to meet WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criteria, including proper document structure, logical reading order, alternative text, accessible tables, forms, metadata, and language specification.

ADA Title II references WCAG 2.1, but PDF/UA is widely used as the technical standard to ensure PDFs meet structural and assistive technology requirements necessary for WCAG conformance in academic documents.

STEM PDFs containing equations, formulas, diagrams, graphs, and tables must be made accessible using proper tagging, structure, alternative text, and assistive technology compatibility to meet WCAG 2.1 requirements.

Common failures include untagged or scanned PDFs, missing alternative text, poor reading order, inaccessible tables and forms, missing document titles, undefined language, and inaccessible mathematical content.

Universities can automate compliance using tools like PDFix that provide AI-powered auto-tagging, WCAG and PDF/UA validation, intelligent remediation, batch processing, and centralized compliance reporting.

ADA Title II digital accessibility requires state and local governments to ensure that all digital content, including PDF documents, is accessible to people with disabilities in accordance with WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA standards.

ADA Title II applies to state and local government public entities, including agencies, courts, municipalities, counties, public libraries, public universities, and special district governments that provide services, programs, or activities to the public.

Public entities serving populations of 50,000 or more must comply by April 24, 2026. Public entities serving fewer than 50,000 people and special district governments must comply by April 26, 2027.

ADA Title II requires PDFs and other digital documents to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criteria, including proper structure, reading order, alternative text, accessible forms, and metadata.

No. ADA Title II applies to state and local governments, while Section 508 applies to federal agencies and federal contractors. Both require accessible PDFs but follow different legal frameworks and standards.

All digital content used in government services, programs, or activities must be accessible, including PDFs, forms, court documents, reports, notices, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Common failures include missing or incorrect tags, improper reading order, missing alternative text, inaccessible forms, missing document titles, undefined language, and improperly structured tables.

Governments can automate compliance using tools like PDFix that provide AI-powered auto-tagging, WCAG and PDF/UA validation, intelligent error fixing, batch processing, and audit-ready reporting.

PDF compliance means ensuring PDF documents meet technical accessibility standards and legal accessibility requirements so they are usable by people with disabilities and meet regulatory obligations such as ADA, Section 508, WCAG, PDF/UA, and the European Accessibility Act.

PDF compliance reduces legal risk, supports procurement requirements, improves access for people using assistive technologies, and ensures organizations meet mandatory accessibility laws while scaling document accessibility efficiently.

PDF accessibility compliance is defined by WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 success criteria for content accessibility and PDF/UA (ISO 14289), which specifies the technical structure required for accessible PDF documents.

Key laws and regulations requiring PDF compliance include ADA Title II for state and local governments, Section 508 for federal agencies, and the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882) for digital products and services in the EU.

PDF/UA is the ISO standard that defines how PDFs must be structured for accessibility, including tags, reading order, alternative text, language specification, and assistive technology compatibility. It is commonly used to ensure WCAG compliance.

WCAG defines accessibility requirements for content, while PDF/UA defines how a PDF must be technically structured to support that content. Both are required for fully accessible and regulation-ready PDF documents.

Organizations check PDF compliance using accessibility validation tools that test PDFs against WCAG and PDF/UA standards, identify specific failures, and generate detailed compliance reports.

Government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, financial institutions, legal organizations, and public-sector vendors rely on PDF compliance software to meet accessibility laws and procurement requirements.

The April 24, 2026 ADA deadline requires public entities serving 50,000+ people – including state governments, counties, cities, and public universities – to ensure all digital content, including PDF documents, complies with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This includes proper tagging, reading order, alternative text, form accessibility, and logical structure.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the middle conformance level, including all Level A and AA requirements, and represents what many organizations strive to meet as it balances accessibility with practical implementation. For PDF documents, this means: Proper semantic structure Alternative text Correct reading order Color contrast Document language Keyboard accessibility Form field labels Federal data shows that among government PDF downloads, 77% were PDFs, but only 20% of those PDFs were compliant with Section 508 standards.

Manual PDF remediation doesn’t scale to meet the volume demands most government agencies face. Automation through tools like PDFix provides a more efficient solution: Key automation capabilities: Auto-fix features: Automatically correct common accessibility errors while experts focus on complex issues Auto-tagging: Automatically analyzes document layout and applies semantic tags Batch processing: Process thousands of PDFs securely on-premises at tens of pages per second per core Built-in validation: Real-time compliance checking against Section 508, WCAG 2.1/2.2, and PDF/UA standards

PDFs are often complex, high-volume, and sourced from Word, InDesign, scanned documents, or third-party systems – making them inconsistent and difficult to remediate manually. Tagging tables, forms, multi-column layouts, charts, and long documents can take 15–30 minutes per page. PDFix eliminates this strain by automatically generating structure, detecting layout elements, adding alt text, and validating compliance instantly.

USCIS uses PDFix Desktop for auto-tagging, WCAG validation, and on-premises batch remediation of millions of immigration documents. The Federal Reserve integrates PDFix SDK into its internal systems to process thousands of long, scanned financial PDFs securely, using OCR, intelligent tagging, and per-core parallel processing. Both agencies achieve Section 508 and WCAG compliance without exposing sensitive data to external vendors.

PDFix provides fully local, on-premises accessibility automation – ideal for agencies handling confidential or regulated content. Features include AI auto-tagging, batch processing, document templates, built-in veraPDF validation, and customizable SDK workflows. This ensures fast, consistent, and secure compliance across high-volume PDF collections, reducing cost, eliminating outsourcing risks, and enabling sustainable accessibility ahead of the 2026 ADA deadline.

veraPDF is an open-source PDF validator covering all parts of the PDF/A and PDF/UA (Matterhorn Protocol Machine failure conditions) standards. Originally funded by the PREFORMA project, veraPDF has been sustained and maintained by the Open Preservation Foundation since 2017. Dual Lab provides active user support and carries out maintenance and bug fixes. The PDF Association’s PDF/A Technical Working Group continues its role in resolving ambiguities arising from veraPDF’s usage in the field.

Yes. It is industry supported open-source standard with active maintenance and PDF community governance. It validates PDF/UA requirements, highlights common tagging and structure errors, and produces validation reports you can trust. See the full list of PDF/UA validation profiles.

veraPDF outputs HTML, XML, or JSON with detailed findings, errors, and fail summaries.

Use the veraPDF Web Demonstrator or the PDFix online validator (pdfix.io) to run PDF/UA checks directly in your browse.

Yes. veraPDFis free and open-source – you can download it, use it, and modify it to meet your needs.

If you encounter a validation result that appears incorrect, we encourage you to report it on the veraPDF GitHub issue tracker or reach out to the Open Preservation Foundation. Community feedback is essential to improving veraPDF. You can also volunteer your time and expertise by contributing to the software and documentation via GitHub (https://github.com/veraPDF)

veraPDF desktop is a great validator, but PDFix Desktop Lite makes the results practical to work with. PDFix Desktop Lite: Integrates the same veraPDF validation engine directly into a PDF viewer/editor. Shows validation results in a dedicated panel. Groups issues by type (e.g., natural language, images, structure). Lets you click an issue and jump directly to the problematic object on the page or in the structure tree. Supports batch validation across many files, with a combined view of issues. So if you not only want to check conformance but also understand and work with the problematic content, Desktop Lite offers a much more usable wo

Yes. This means the validation results in PDFix match what you would get from the official veraPDF distribution (for the same profile and version). PDFix uses the latest official veraPDF engine. When PDFix needs improvements or bug fixes, they contribute changes upstream to the veraPDF open-source project.

Yes, this kind of structural fix is possible in PDFix. PDFix provides a “Delete Tags” action that: Deletes selected tag types (e.g., <P>) based on rules. Lets you decide what happens to nested content: Leave content in place, Move nested tags up to the parent level, or Mark the content as artifact. You can define a custom template that targets only the structures you want.Example from the webinar: Delete <P> tags whose parent is <TR>, and move nested tags up one level. Applied to your case, you can: Target <P> tags that contain figures/tables/formulas. Use the “move nested tags to parent” option. This effectively lifts the figure/table/formula out of the paragraph and places it as a sibling tag. If needed, PDFix support can help define the exact template logic for your layout.

Key points: veraPDF: The default PDF/UA profile does not include color contrast checks. A more complete / WCAG-oriented profile does contain a color contrast test. The contrast algorithm and thresholds in veraPDF may differ from other tools. You can inspect and even adjust the color contrast check in the profile XML if you have specific criteria. PAC and other tools: PAC is still widely used for color contrast validation. Different tools may report different results because they use different algorithms or interpretation rules. Recommended approach: For critical workflows, review or customize the veraPDF contrast check to match your internal requirements. Use multiple validators (e.g., PAC + veraPDF with a profile that includes color contrast checks).

Yes, you can generate veraPDF validation reports directly from PDFix Desktop Lite. The UI lets you: Run validation with a chosen profile. Generate a veraPDF report as: HTML, XML Open the report inside PDFix and then save it (e.g., as HTML or convert to PDF for sharing). JSON: CLI / Docker / SDK integration → HTML / XML / JSON, depending on how you call veraPDF. veraPDF itself can output JSON via its command-line usage. JSON is typically accessed in automation/SDK or Docker-based workflows, rather than through the basic Lite UI. So: Desktop Lite UI → HTML / XML reports

There is no fixed hard limit in the SDK itself. Throughput and “efficient volume” depend on: Your hardware (CPU cores, RAM, disk/IO). Parallelization strategy (how many processes/threads you run). Complexity and size of the PDFs. What actions you perform (validation only vs. validation + fixing + conversions). Real capacity is determined by how you architect your batch/queue system, not by a built-in limit in SDK. PDFix SDK can be used: In continuous workflows, processing thousands to millions of documents. In parallel processes (e.g., multiple CLI or worker instances).

NVDA is Windows-only, so it’s not an option on Mac. The main native screen reader on macOS is VoiceOver: Use VoiceOver together with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC or Acrobat Pro for realistic PDF testing. Built-in viewers (like Preview) generally don’t expose full tag/structure information the way screen readers need. Alternative / complementary method: Use PDFix conversion to HTML as a proxy for reading order: PDFix can convert tagged PDFs to HTML using the document structure (tag tree) as the reading order. You can then review: Heading levels (H1, H2…), Reading order, Grouping of content. This is not a replacement for an actual screen reader, but it’s a very useful additional check based on the same tag structure that assistive tech relies on. Recommended practice: Optionally, combine this with PDF → HTML conversion via PDFix to visually inspect reading order and tag structure. On Mac: Use VoiceOver + Acrobat Reader/Pro for hands-on accessibility testing.

You use your own OpenAI account and API key. OpenAI usage is not included in the PDFix license. PDFix simply connects to your OpenAI API key, so: You need your own OpenAI subscription/account. You can limit and monitor your own usage and costs. All billing for OpenAI runs through your own OpenAI account, not PDFix.

Processing time depends on which method you use: Template-based methods: These run purely on the machine using PDFix’s own layout rules. They are very fast – typically, you can process many pages per second and large batches of files efficiently. Local AI models: Speed depends on the performance of your machine and the specific model. BLIP, as integrated in PDFix Desktop, is quite fast and provides good results, but it’s still naturally slower than pure template processing because each image is actually sent to and processed by the AI model. Cloud AI models: Speed depends on your internet connection, the chosen model, and the AI’s response time.

Right now, Docker is the primary way to integrate External Actions (including AI models like Docling) with PDFix Desktop. Why Docker: You only need to get approval for one application (Docker) instead of many separate tools. It simplifies the installation of complex AI tools that have many dependencies. It lets you run multiple different AI models on the same machine without managing conflicting dependencies manually.

You can freely modify or merge AI-generated templates with your own.The AI template is a standard JSON file that you can edit to: Add or adjust element properties (for example, marking an element as a heading) Modify tagging rules Apply heuristics or logic to improve structure recognition You can do this manually or programmatically – for instance, by adding custom properties such as alternate text, role mappings, or structural adjustments to enhance accessibility and accuracy.

Yes. This is exactly what the local AI models are for. You can use offline AI actions, such as BLIP (for image descriptions) or Paddle (for math formulas and other tasks) and other local models available as External Actions. These run completely locally on your machine, even without an internet connection, so: No document data or images are sent to the cloud. You keep all content on-premise, which is ideal for confidential or regulated data. If you choose to use OpenAI or other cloud-based AI, your data will be sent to that provider’s servers.

Yes – this is already possible. The AI models and External Actions demonstrated (via Docker) can also be run as command-line processes. Docker is used as a CLI tool, not a continuously running service. You can design a workflow where: You run PDFix CLI to process PDFs You run Docker-based AI actions as additional command-line steps You chain these commands in scripts/batch jobs to automate full pipelines If you need help setting this up, PDFix can provide examples, resources, and guidance on integrating AI actions with your PDFix CLI workflows.

At the moment, there is no built-in, ready-to-use feature in PDFix Desktop that automatically detects repeated identical images, and reuses a single AI result for all occurrences. However, this scenario can be handled with a custom solution: A separate application or script that identifies duplicate images That custom tool then calls the AI once per unique image and applies the same alt text to all duplicates In some workflows, if repeated images are purely decorative, you might choose to artifact the duplicates and describe only one instance – but that depends on accessibility requirements and document semantics. So: no automatic duplicate-detection/reuse yet, but it’s technically feasible via a custom integration.

Yes, this is fully supported and is often the recommended approach. Example workflow: First pass – template/basic actions Use template-based functions like Set Alternate Description or Set Actual Text to automatically set alt text for images you can clearly define with rules and target specific images by size, position, page number, or other template rules. AI actions After the first pass, some images still won’t have alt text. Then you run an AI action (e.g., BLIP, OpenAI) on the remaining images. Let AI generate descriptions only where templates didn’t already set alt text. You can also bundle this into a single custom workflow/action in PDFix: Action step 1: Set Alternate Description (template-based). Action step 2: Set Alternate Description (OpenAI) or another AI model. This combined workflow can then be run on a single document, or in batch mode across many PDFs, so the mixed strategy is fully automated.

Auto-tagging adds invisible structure tags to your PDF (like headings, lists, tables, and images) so that assistive technologies – such as screen readers – can interpret and navigate the content correctly. PDFix Desktop automates this process, saving hours of manual tagging.

The best method depends on your document type: Basic Auto-Tagging – ideal for quick fixes and mixed layouts. Preflight Auto-Tagging  – detects document structure automatically. AI-Generated Templates  – best for complex or variable layouts. Pre-Defined Templates  – perfect for repetitive files like invoices or reports.

AI auto-tagging with PDFix Desktop is highly accurate for complex layouts, as it uses machine-learning models (e.g., Amazon Textract) to recognize structure and generate templates automatically. You can review and refine tags afterward to achieve 100% compliance.

Yes. PDFix Desktop supports batch auto-tagging, allowing you to process entire folders or document sets simultaneously. This is ideal for organizations managing large archives, ensuring all PDFs meet accessibility standards efficiently.

No coding skills are required. PDFix Desktop provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface with automated tagging options. You can create or import layout templates without writing code, making it suitable for accessibility specialists, designers, and non-developers.

Yes. PDFix offers both Desktop and SDK solutions, so developers can integrate the same auto-tagging logic directly into workflow pipelines, document management systems, or automated PDF generation processes.

You can create a manual layout template in a JSON file that defines how PDFix should recognize elements such as tables, headers, and anchors across pages. If you have programming or technical skills, you can build the template yourself by following our Layout Template Guide.Otherwise, simply send us a sample document, and our team can create a custom template for you so you can apply it and see exactly how it works and review the output results before scaling it for batch auto-tagging.

PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility), defined by ISO 14289-1, is the standard for making PDF documents fully accessible for people using assistive technologies (e.g. screen readers). It ensures that the document’s structure (tags, reading order, semantics) is correctly defined so that users can navigate, read, and interact with content. Without PDF/UA compliance, a PDF might appear visually correct but remain inaccessible in practice.

Different validators can interpret the PDF/UA or WCAG rules differently, implement distinct logic, or cover different subsets of validation rules. Each tool may apply different heuristics or fallback logic for complex cases. Some rules require human judgment, which can’t be fully automated. Rule coverage, severity thresholds, and error reporting formats differ. As a result, it’s common for one validator to flag an issue another overlooks. The inconsistencies don’t mean one is wrong — they reflect variation in implementation.

No. Automated tools can detect many structural, tagging, and rule-based issues, but they cannot fully assess context, meaning, or design intent (e.g. whether alt text conveys the right meaning, or whether the reading order truly matches human expectations). Thus, best practice is to combine automated validation with manual review and human expert checks.

There is no one-size-fits-all best validator. Popular tools include veraPDF, PAC, Adobe Preflight PDF/UA, or CommonLook PDF Validator — each with its own strengths and trade-offs in rule coverage and reporting depth. Using multiple validators in tandem is often recommended to cross-check results, compare error reports, and complement them with manual review.

When reading a validation report, consider: Re-test — after remediation, re-run validators and compare reports to ensure improvements. Severity & context — not all flagged issues are equally critical. Focus first on errors (not just warnings). Rule descriptions vs. tool-specific explanations — understand the underlying standard (e.g. ISO 14289, WCAG) rather than relying solely on the tool’s wording. Prioritize fixes — address structural, tagging, and navigation issues first. Then refine alt text, reading order, metadata, etc.

There isn’t one universal “best” AI model – accuracy depends on the document type and layout. All supported models (Amazon Textract, Docling, and Paddle) perform well in layout recognition, table detection, and heading structure identification. However, none consistently outperforms the others across all business documents. We recommend testing each model on your specific document set to see which fits best. If you find an AI model that performs exceptionally well, contact us – we can guide you on how to integrate it and convert its output into a compatible PDFix Layout Template.

Yes. You can integrate your own AI layout model into the PDFix workflow.Each layout action in the PDFix Marketplace links to our open-source Docker implementation on GitHub. Using this reference, you can implement your own AI model and gain competitive technical or business advantages.

It depends on the AI model you choose. Cloud-based models such as Amazon Textract require an internet connection.However, many models – including Docling or other locally deployed AI models — can run fully offline inside a Docker container.Keep in mind that some of these models are large (e.g., 4–5 GB) and require local disk space, but once set up, they work entirely offline.

Creating templates manually is possible but not necessary — PDFix Desktop includes a visual template editor.With PDFix Desktop, you can: Visually design and test layout templates Tag elements directly on the page Export the JSON template for SDK automation For a step-by-step demonstration, see our PDFix Layout Templates webinar, linked in this video’s description and on our webinar page.

Yes. PDFix SDK supports integrating PDF/UA validation (e.g., with veraPDF) directly in your automated workflow.You can perform auto-tagging, apply fixes for accessibility issues, and then validate results – all programmatically. This topic will be covered in an upcoming webinar, and you can also refer to our earlier webinars on automated validation and fixing accessibility issues with PDFix SDK.

Absolutely. You can assign alternate text (alt text) to any element directly in your template – without AI.For example: Mark an element as a figure and define its alternate_text property. Identify images based on page number, position (bounding box), or object ID. Use template functions to automatically assign descriptive alt text to each image. This allows complete control over accessibility tagging within a purely rule-based (non-AI) template workflow.

A typical end-to-end workflow looks like this: Document Intake Detect whether documents already include tags or are PDF/UA-compliant Validation StepRun a compliance check (e.g., with veraPDF) to determine the tagging quality Auto-Tagging & Accessibility FixesUse PDFix SDK to perform layout recognition, auto-tagging, and automated fixing of accessibility issues. Re-ValidationValidate the processed files to confirm PDF/UA conformance. Manual Review (if needed)Send any remaining files for manual remediation to ensure full accessibility compliance. This hybrid automation-plus-review approach ensures accuracy and reliability across large document volumes.

You can find all our past and upcoming webinars in the Webinar category on pdfix.net. More recorded sessions are also available on our YouTube channel: Team PDFix

Absolutely! You can follow along and experiment using the same materials. All the documents and JSON template files are available for download on our GitHub: Weekly Market Sample

Yep, everything you see in this webinar is replicable in the SDK. See a separate webinar for auto-tagging with PDFix SDK.

Templates can be created with the Preflight function in PDFix Desktop, using an AI model, or manually. Template examples are available on GitHub.

Yes, it’s possible. If you need help creating one, just contact us — we can assist with multi-page and repeating layouts.

Yes, that’s correct. Templates can be generated automatically using AI. PDFix Desktop then applies them to fix and enhance the tagging structure.

Some AI models require credentials, some don’t. PDFix Desktop offers a free AI layout models such as Paddle.

PDFix Desktop offers a free AI layout models such as Paddle which does not require credentials.

Yep! You can train and prepare your own model, then integrate it easily into PDFix.

We continuously work on imtegration of new LLM models into PDFix Desktop, including Microsoft Azure. Please check for PDFix Marketplace updates.

Yes! We offer an external OCR action that can be applied before auto-tagging. It automatically adds an OCR text layer to scanned PDF files. Learn more here: OCR Tesseract Action

Yes, we have an external Table Summary mode that improves table readability for LLMs: Generate Table Summary with OpenAI

We support both OpenAI and Paddle for MathML detection.

Tagging PDF Forms is challenging, but possible. Each form field is properly tagged based on PDF/UA standard. The form field descriptions can be auto-generated from field names or tooltips.

Manually created templates can handle auto-tagging of complex layouts. If you need help creating one, just contact us — we can assist with complex layouts.

Not completely. PDFix relies on the open-source veraPDF tool for PDF/UA validation. You can learn more here: PDF Accessibility Validators

Yep! Check our related blog and webinar here: How to automate fixes in InDesign created PDFs

Yes, exactly! You can use the free BLIP or paid OpenAI model for automatic Alternate Text generation.

Constantly. External actions are updated whenever new versions are released. PDFix SDK and Desktop are updated at least quarterly — or more often if needed.

Yes, it is possible to use Podman instead of Docker Desktop for running external actions integrated with PDFix Desktop.PDFix Desktop supports actions that can be distributed through the PDFix Marketplace or installed manually using an action configuration file (JSON).Each action configuration file defines: Action metadata — such as name, category, and subtype, enabling integration into specific workflows (e.g., template creation or tag editing). Program execution pattern — including the command-line call and its arguments. Argument definitions — allowing customization of how the action runs and interacts with PDFix Desktop. Because the action system executes external programs through command-line calls, Podman can be used in the same way as Docker Desktop or any other CLI-based container runtime.Example: Executing the Action with Docker docker run -v $(pwd):/data -w /data –rm pdfix/autotag-textract:latest \ tag –aws_id ${AWS_ID} –aws_secret ${AWS_SECRET} –aws_region ${AWS_REGION} \ -i /data/input.pdf -o /data/output.pdf Example: Executing the Same Action with Podman podman run -v $(pwd):/data -w /data –rm pdfix/autotag-textract:latest \ tag –aws_id ${AWS_ID} –aws_secret ${AWS_SECRET} –aws_region ${AWS_REGION} \ -i /data/input.pdf -o /data/output.pdf Since Podman provides a Docker-compatible command-line interface, no additional configuration changes are required in the PDFix action definition.Simply replace docker with podman in the execution command. For detailed guidance on creating or installing custom actions, please contact us.

Create or sign in to your AWS account (console). Create an IAM user (or use an existing one) and enable Programmatic access so it can get access keys. When you create the access key pair, save the secret — AWS shows the secret only once. AWS Documentation Attach Textract permissions to that user/role. For testing you can attach the managed policy AmazonTextractFullAccess; for production prefer least-privilege (grant only the textract:* actions you need). AWS Documentation Create the access key for that IAM user (Access Key ID + Secret Access Key) via the IAM → Users → Security credentials → Create access key UI. Store those credentials securely (see storage below). AWS Documentation

Paddle is currently supported only for layout recognition in auto-tagging and template workflows. It does not include OCR functionality.At the moment, Tesseract is the only OCR engine supported in the PDFix Marketplace. Please check for future updates that may add OCR support for Paddle or other engines.

PDF/UA (PDF/Universal Accessibility) is the ISO standard (ISO 14289) that defines how PDFs must be structured to be accessible to people using assistive technologies such as screen readers. PDFix Desktop includes a built-in PDF/UA validator to ensure every document meets both PDF/UA and WCAG requirements, helping organizations achieve accessibility compliance faster.

Desktop Pro (350 €): Designed for professionals and small teams. Includes AI-powered auto-tagging, remediation tools, layout template mapping for complex documents, PDF conversion, and custom accessibility commands. Desktop Enterprise (1 000 €): Includes all Pro features, plus advanced tools for high-volume document processing with batch automation – ideal for organizations handling large numbers of PDFs every week.

Yes. Both Pro and Enterprise editions of PDFix Desktop include all minor updates and improvements. This ensures you always have the latest features and compliance checks without extra costs.

Yes. You can download a free trial of PDFix Desktop to explore auto-tagging, OCR for image-based or scanned PDFs, AI-driven remediation features, and PDF/UA compliance validation before upgrading to the full license.

Accessible reports ensure that employees, clients, and partners with disabilities can use the information. Beyond inclusivity, it also protects companies from compliance risks under PDF/UA, WCAG, and Section 508.

The fastest way is to use an automated layout template. With tools like PDFix, you set accessibility rules once (headings, tables, alt text, reading order) and apply them to reports automatically.

Common issues include missing headings and reading order, untagged or complex tables without headers, charts or infographics without alt text, and PDFs exported from CRM systems without semantic structure.

Manual fixes can work for a few files, but if you generate dozens of reports weekly, it quickly becomes unsustainable and expensive. Automation saves 90% of the time and ensures consistency.

Yes. PDFix templates can detect charts that need alternative text descriptions, column headers in large tables, repeating structures like KPI dashboards, and anchors for recurring sections.

Not at all. Templates work for client-facing business reviews, weekly sales reports, high-volume invoices, bank statements, annual sales reports, and annual financial statements.

No. With an in-house automated solution like PDFix, you eliminate the need for outsourcing or building large remediation teams — while keeping data secure inside your company.

AI-powered auto-tagging means using artificial intelligence to detect and tag document elements automatically instead of manually. With PDFix + Amazon Textract, every PDF page is analyzed for structure (headings, tables, forms) and converted into a JSON template that ensures consistent tagging. This is faster, more accurate, and more scalable than manual tagging or Adobe’s basic auto-tag function

Scanned or image-only PDFs are converted into images. Amazon Textract applies advanced OCR and layout recognition to detect text blocks, tables, and forms. PDFix then builds a JSON template and applies tagging back onto the original PDF. The result is a fully searchable, accessible, and PDF/UA-compliant file — even from raw scans.

Reusable logic: One JSON template can tag thousands of similar PDFs. Consistency: Ensures the same structure (tables, headers, reading order) across batches. Scalability: Process millions of pages without manual tagging. Compliance: Meets PDF/UA and WCAG standards reliably. This makes JSON templates a game-changer for enterprises working with invoices, bank statements, insurance forms, and other high-volume documents.

Yes. You can integrate PaddlePaddle (open-source deep learning), or other custom AI models. This flexibility means you can choose the AI model that delivers the best accuracy for your industry and integrate it with PDFix. We’re constantly adding state-of-the-art AI models, which you can find in our Marketplace.

Open the PDF in PDFix Desktop. Go to Actions → Make Accessible (includes Auto-Tag, sets Language & Title, creates Bookmarks, embeds Fonts for PDF/UA compliance). Open the Validation side panel and click Validate (PDF/UA-1). Apply Auto-Fix or Quick Fix, use manual edits if needed, then validate again until status is Passed.

Make Accessible is an automated one-click workflow that clears old structure, runs Auto-Tag (or Auto-Tag with Paddle AI), sets Document Language and Title, creates Bookmarks, embeds Fonts, and prepares the file for PDF/UA validation and fixes.

Auto-Tag quickly builds a semantic tag tree. Make Accessible runs Auto-Tag plus key metadata and font embedding steps — making it the best starting point for fast PDF/UA results.

In the Template side panel you can define rules for headings, tables, figures, reading order, and artifacts. Templates standardize recognition and boost accuracy on complex layouts. Use them to fine-tune detection when Auto-Tag alone isn’t perfect.

Open the Validation side panel. Click Validate (PDF/UA-1) or Validate With to select a profile. Review results, apply Auto-Fix or Quick Fix, and re-validate until Passed.

Yes. In the document view, choose Run Action → Accessibility → AutoTag( Paddle), or AutoTag(AmazonTextract) to try an alternative AI-powered engine that can improve detection on certain layouts. We’re constantly adding new models, which you can find in our marketplace.

Auto-Fix provides one-click repairs for frequent problems. Quick Fix offers targeted commands for specific issues such as missing language or bad list structure. Manual Fix can be used for complex issues via the Tag Tree, Bookmarks, Content, or Annotations panels.

After Auto-Tag or Make Accessible, open the Tag Tree and Content panels to verify order from top to bottom. You can even convert PDFs to HTML to preview the reflowable layout and verify the correct reading order.

PDFix detects many decorative items and marks them as artifacts automatically. If something is missed, select the object in the Content panel and mark it as Artifact.

If an image is decorative, mark it as an Artifact instead of adding alt text. In the Tag Tree, select the Figure tag and add concise, meaningful Alt text. You can also run an action to automatically add alt text to images using PDFix, OpenAI, or Saleforce BLIP. We’re constantly adding new models, which you can find in our marketplace.

To make PDF annotations accessible, you need to add alternative text using the Contents key (or TU key for form fields). Tools like PDFix Desktop allow you to set or overwrite annotation descriptions—such as link destinations or highlight text—ensuring compliance with PDF/UA and WCAG standards.

The most efficient way is to use the Set Annotation Contents action in PDFix. It can automatically generate descriptive text for links (e.g., “Go to Page 3”) and extract content from highlights using bounding boxes. You can also define custom text or use action destinations for full accessibility coverage.

Yes. According to the PDF/UA standard (ISO 14289-1), all non-text annotations must have meaningful alternative text for assistive technologies. Without this, screen readers cannot convey what the annotation represents—causing compliance failures. PDFix makes this process seamless and repeatable.

The most scalable way to auto-tag structured PDFs is by using a template-based layout recognition system like PDFix. You define a single JSON file that tells the engine what to tag and where, then apply it across thousands of files without manual editing.

Yes. PDFix supports automatic PDF/UA-compliant tagging using semantic elements (<h1>, <p>, <table>, etc.). With the right JSON template, you can generate accessible documents that pass compliance checks without manual tagging. Read more about PDFix Template logic – a rule based layout engine defined in JSON.

The template is a JSON configuration file that defines elements by position, text pattern, style, or anchors. PDFix SDK uses this file to recognize and tag structures like headers, tables, and footers across any number of PDF files. Read more about Layout Template.

Yes, it’s ideal. Bank statements and invoices usually follow a predictable layout. PDFix templates are perfect for batch-tagging structured documents like monthly financial reports, utility bills, or receipts.

Absolutely. The PDFix SDK can be embedded into any document automation pipeline (Windows, Linux, or cloud-based). Deutsche Bank, for example, integrated it without disrupting their existing workflow.

You can use PDFix Desktop for visual layout analysis and template creation, then run batch operations using the PDFix SDK CLI or your own script. No coding is needed to start.

You’ll find all working examples on GitHub under PDFix_SDK_Example_Templates.

You can use Set Content Color action in PDFix Desktop to automatically adjust fill and stroke colors of PDF objects. This helps improve readability and meet accessibility standards without manual editing.

Yes. With PDFix Desktop, you can define rules to change colors across text, paths, and shapes in bulk using a JSON template. This is ideal for correcting entire documents quickly.

It’s a new PDFix action that lets you apply custom color filters to content based on type, fill, stroke, or other properties. Also, you can selectively target and change colors using the object_update.

Use the Set Content Color feature to ensure proper color contrast (as defined by WCAG guidelines). This is a critical step for creating WCAG and PDF/UA-compliant documents that support screen readers and low-vision users.

Yes. You can define filter rules in JSON to match only specific fill and stroke color values (e.g., red 255,0,0) and update them to new colors (e.g., black 0,0,0), ensuring accurate and consistent adjustments.

PDFix supports updates to any page object – including text, paths, and vector graphics – defined via the object_types parameter in your template. You can match based on color, object type, or custom filters.

Absolutely. PDFix’s Set Content Color is designed to integrate with PDF remediation pipelines. It’s especially useful for organizations working on accessibility at scale – such as banks, finance, government agencies, and digital publishers.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized new ADA Title II web accessibility rules. Smaller entities and special districts: must comply by April 26, 2027.These deadlines apply to websites, mobile apps, and digital documents — including PDFs. Large entities (50,000 + population): must comply by April 24, 2026.

Yes. The DOJ explicitly includes PDF documents under ADA Title II. Any downloadable or online PDF must be accessible to screen readers and follow WCAG 2.1 criteria, such as proper tags, alt text, and logical reading order.

Use PDFix Desktop to auto-tag and repair existing PDFs, or PDFix SDK to integrate accessibility directly into your workflow.. The tools analyze document structure, detect headings and tables, and apply accessibility tags automatically – reducing manual remediation time while ensuring PDF/UA and WCAG compliance. Explore real-world results to see how Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services use PDFix to automate compliance at scale.

Educational institutions can use PDFix Desktop to tag syllabi, course materials, and administrative forms. For large volumes, PDFix SDK allows automated remediation directly in existing learning management systems (LMS) and campus workflows — helping schools meet WCAG compliance faster. Read more in our University Case Study to see how PDFix streamlines accessibility at scale.

Yes, the PDFix SDK supports multiple programming languages including Python, C++, Java, .NET, and JavaScript. It is cross-platform and runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

You can explore the list of Batch Actions available under documentation. While we currently don’t link PDF standard clause numbers directly to actions, we’re working on adding this mapping. For now, feel free to contact us for guidance on addressing specific issues.

There is no hard limit. We’ve successfully processed PDF files with over 12,000 pages. Performance may depend on system resources, but generally, the SDK can handle large documents efficiently. For monitoring long operations like auto-tagging, progress monitoring can be implemented – contact us for an example.

Yes! Use the Create Bookmarks action in the PDFix Actions. If your PDF has headings in its structure, this action will auto-generate bookmarks. Check our documentation for implementation details.

PDFix SDK doesn’t support PDF reconstruction from XML. Instead, it provides direct PDF editing functions – modifying content, links, page assembly. For specific needs, review our GitHub examples or email us for guidance.

Accessibility features, including auto-tagging, require the PDFix SDK Enterprise license.

The auto-tag function removes the entire existing structure by default. However, for fixing pre-tagged documents – for example those from InDesign – refer to our webinar, which covers custom remediation workflows.

Absolutely! Modify the script to iterate through all files in a directory—it can handle any number of PDFs.

PDF/UA (ISO 14289-1) is the international standard for accessible PDF files. PDFix supports creating and validating PDF/UA compliance across PDFix Desktop, SDK, and free online tools.

Upload your file to the Validate PDF/UA tool on pdfix.io. It runs veraPDF validation to test against ISO 14289 rules and returns a machine-readable report. No sign-up required.

No. PDFix validation verifies machine-checkable rules. Human review is still required to confirm logical reading order and alt-text quality. See PDF Validation overview.

You can use the free Make PDF Accessible tool to automatically generate a tag tree – headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and figures – and convert your document into a structured, accessible PDF. For large-scale processing, PDFix Desktop provides the same functionality with batch automation.See our easy step-be-step guide: How to Make a PDF/UA-Compliant PDF in Minutes with PDFix Desktop › Developers can also use the PDFix SDK CLI commands.

Yes. Upload your file online to pdfix.io/autofix or run the Auto-fix tool in PDFix Desktop after validation to resolve machine-detectable issues. Re-validate to confirm the fixes.

Yes. PDFix Desktop Lite includes veraPDF validation and runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

The presence of a watermark in your document output is a limitation of the Lite version.

You can download the trial version here. It includes full product features, with the limitation being watermarked document output after saving.

The Lite version includes the following limitations: Saved PDFs may have redacted parts of the content, Methods that extract text from the PDF content randomly replace characters with “*”, Rasterized images may contain logo watermark.

To ensure accurate validation results, it’s essential to have Java installed on your computer. You can download Java here.

Ensure your system meets these prerequisites before installing PDFix: Windows: Windows 10 or newer, along with the latest Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2019, macOS: macOS 10.15 or later, Linux: Ubuntu 18.04 or newer, or CentOS 8 or newer.

The EAA mandates that digital products and services – including downloadable documents such as PDFs used in banking, e-commerce, transport, telecom, etc. – must be accessible to people with disabilities. While it doesn’t explicitly name “PDF”, it references the standard EN 301 549 which maps to WCAG and, by extension for PDF documents, to PDF/UA (ISO 14289-2:2024)

The key dates are: new products/services launched after 28 June 2025 must comply. Existing offerings may have a transitional period up to 28 June 2030 to fully align.

An accessible PDF must have a semantic tag tree with headings, lists, tables, alt text for images, meaningful reading order, navigable structure, form labels if applicable, and compatibility with assistive technologies. This matches PDF/UA requirements and aligns with WCAG.

By embedding accessibility into your document generation workflow via tools and SDKs (such as template-driven outputs, auto-tagging engines, APIs for reading order / alt text / metadata) so that each PDF is compliant from the start rather than remediated afterwards.

Yes – if your service falls under the EAA’s scope (e.g., online banking statements, invoices, reports) and you serve EU users, you are subject to compliance regardless of your location.

Many organizations want to know how to check whether their existing PDFs actually meet accessibility standards. The best approach combines automated PDF accessibility validation – to detect missing tags, incorrect reading order, or missing alt text – with a manual review to ensure semantic accuracy and logical structure. This hybrid method helps you prioritize fixes, create reliable templates, and maintain long-term compliance. For a deeper look at validation profiles, testing workflows, and how different accessibility checkers compare, read our detailed guide on PDF/UA-1 Accessibility Validators Comparison.

WCAG defines accessibility rules for all web and digital content, while PDF/UA (ISO 14289) focuses specifically on the structure and tagging of PDF documents. The best approach is to use both together, ensuring full alignment with EN 301 549 requirements.

You can automate tagging using PDFix Templates, which recognize layout patterns and apply consistent structure. This enables batch auto-tagging for invoices, bank statements, and reports – turning repetitive PDFs into accessible, compliant documents in seconds.

AI-generated alt text automatically creates meaningful descriptions for images, charts, and figures. In PDFix Desktop, you can run OpenAI on batch documents directly in the Application View via the integrated Docker image. OpenAI is built into PDFix Desktop, so you can simply run the action without adding an external step.

Yes. PDFix helps you add, review, and validate alternate text across figures to support PDF/UA, WCAG, and Section 508 requirements. Validation can be performed instantly, as PDFix Desktop includes the industry-standard built-in validator VeraPDF with always up-to-date validation profiles.

Absolutely. PDFix offers batch processing to apply AI-generated descriptions across multiple PDFs, including selective tagging options (e.g., skipping decorative icons) and audit-friendly outputs with consistent file names and directory structures.

You’re not locked in. PDFix External Actions are model-agnostic: you can start with OpenAI via Docker and integrate other engines as they become available. Docker supports both on-premises and private-cloud deployments, ensuring full alignment with your organization’s security and data-privacy policies.

Teams typically report significant time savings with high-quality first drafts. Best results come from a quick human review—refine technical terms, avoid duplicating captions, and ensure each description matches user intent and document context.

PDF to HTML conversion transforms static PDF documents into dynamic, web-friendly HTML files. This process is essential for improving accessibility, mobile responsiveness, and search engine optimization (SEO) of your documents, making them easier to share and view online.

PDFix uses an intelligent Layout Recognition Algorithm to analyze and structure untagged PDFs. This advanced tool automatically identifies elements like text, images, and tables, ensuring accurate and efficient conversion to HTML.

Yes, our tool uses advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to convert scanned PDFs into responsive HTML.

Absolutely. PDFix is designed to handle both individual and bulk conversions efficiently. Our tools are scalable, making them ideal for businesses and organizations with high-volume document processing needs.

You can test our free online PDF solutions or explore PDFix Desktop Pro for advanced features. Watch our interactive demo video for a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

You can use PDFix Desktop Lite, a free accessibility checker powered by veraPDF, to analyze your document. It validates structure, tagging, and reading order, and generates a detailed report showing any accessibility issues and how to fix them.

The most reliable PDF/UA validators include veraPDF, PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker), Adobe Preflight, and CommonLook Validator.For the best results, use multiple tools together, since each validator may detect different issues or interpret rules slightly differently.

Yes — PDFix Desktop Lite is the only free PDF accessibility validator available for macOS. It provides full PDF/UA validation, HTML preview, and detailed accessibility reports.

Check out our in-depth blog post PDF/UA-1 Accessibility Validator Comparison to see how different tools analyze the same PDF and how to interpret results effectively.

The Matterhorn Protocol defines a detailed list of technical checks required for PDF/UA compliance. It helps validators, like PDFix and veraPDF, perform consistent accessibility testing and report precise errors across all documents.