We in a transition period in which increasingly replace the documents "on paper" with digital documents.
There are many reasons to name but a few:
to these great benefits, however, is a (possible) problem, that of long-term storage of these data.
The length of data written on paper is equal to the length ... paper.
In our libraries we can see, they are valuable historical documents, account books of the thirteenth century. In fact it was during this period that the cheapest paper in the West replaced the expensive parchment.
now arises the question, but until I can see my precious files?
The answer is not easy because it depends:
- By the time the media (Floppy, CD, DVD). It is not easy to provide data because of the relative youth of all existing media, but certainly it is not a very long duration, such as the manufacturers claim a life of 100 years of CD, but we have many cases of data lost on CD (for decay of the substrate) after 10 years.
- From the continuous availability of the special player. To read a document of paper than I will need glasses, but to read a file I need to have CD / DVD, Floppy, Card Reader etc.. But in computer formats change. If at the time you save precious data on a floppy size of 5.25, on a Jaz disk, a tape Ditto Max, on a cartridge Sparq ... you will not find players to extract the dati.Se you're curious about the format obsolete reference to this Page
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/dpm/dpm-ita/oldmedia/disks.html - From the availability of the appropriate software to read that particular file . The software is evolving, the software houses are closing or are absorbed, operating systems ... change outdated information and old files are no longer open because it lacks the appropriate software. Britain's National Archive has estimated to be in possession of a quantity of information - usually no more informed readable - that they can fill 580mila encyclopaedias!
The first two points require careful management over time and the hardware media used, pouring data to new media to spread high when the media used is going to be obsolete.
I nvece for the software aspect , to ensure the availability of software Idone or open the document even after many years , the project was initiated for PDF / A
2. The PDF / A
to ensure the availability of long-term data have been taken several initiatives, one that is getting more success is linked to the PDF / A, an international standard (ISO19005), subset of the standard PDF, specially designed for storing long-term electronic documents.
Portable Document Format, commonly abbreviated co PDF is a file format -based page description language developed by Adobe Systems in 1993 for ra ppresentare documents independently from ' hardware and software used to generate them or to see them.
In other words, can I get a PDF file from any application (Word, Writer, Calc, Excel, Power Point, AutoCAD, etc..) Substantially as an evolution of the "print to file".
A PDF file can describe documents containing text and / or images at any resolution. It is an open format, meaning that anyone can create applications that read and write PDF files without the payment of fees (royalties) to the Adobe Systems.
Adobe has a large number of patents relating to the PDF format but do not include the associated licensing fees for the creation of associated programs.
The PDF document does not include information specific to software, hardware and operating system used. This allows the document to be viewed and printed in the exact same way regardless of the platform and / or device used to read it.
This fact has helped to make it a de facto standard format widely used for sharing documents. The only problem for printing documents in formato.PDF "normal" may arise from the use of local characters (eg Italian accented vowels), and if those who press their PC set to a language different.
The PDF / A has been developed to define an international standard Portable Document Format (PDF) for archiving and preservation of documents.
This standard has, to date, two levels of compliance:
- PDF/A-1a = The maximum required by the standard
- PDF/A-1b = The minimum standard required by
Following these guidelines in January 2007, Adobe has taken the road of standardization to become the standard PDF format ISO 19005-1:2005 or a standardized international format and free.
Basically this format "encapsulates" all the necessary information in the file, ensuring that documents are fully self-contained. " All the information necessary to display the document are embedded in the document. This includes all content (text, raster images and vector graphics), fonts, colors and information.
Software Reading are widespread and free, such as Acrobat (or Adobe e) Reader.
In relation to this software I take this opportunity to recommend the use of the latest version designed for your operating system.
You can verify this aspect of theAdobe to the official page at this address:
http://www.adobe.com/it/products/reader/systemreqs/ # 90win
E 'should be specified that this format has two disadvantages:
- As a PDF / A should include all the fonts you use, a PDF / A will più grande dell'equivalente file PDF che non include i font.
- La maggioranza de gli strumenti di generazione di PDF che permettono la conformità allo standard PDF/A, come lo strumento d’esportazione PDF presente nella suite Microsoft Office 2007, elimineràla trasparenza d’ogni immagine presente nel documento perché tale caratteristica è vietata nel PDF/A-1.
3. Obbligatorietà del formato PDF/A nel deposito d’alcuni documenti Sono sempre di più le Amministrazioni e gli Enti che richiedono questo formato nei documenti digitali da presentare quali ad esempio Università for the thesis.
addition, to remain in an area common to us, from January 15, 2009
must be produced in PDF / A (exactly PDF/A-1b)
all electronic documents supporting acts for which the law requires the publication by registration or filing in the Companies Register .
4. Tools lawful and free for package files in PDF / A
As mentioned earlier we can get this by converting the file format originated by various applications.
is a special "print to file", various software
provide this option in the folder "Printers" computer, while others make it available usually defined
command "Export to PDF" To have this potential, there are various software, some are valuable tools for a fee, but hereafter I will deal solely with the possibility of obtaining the result
desired applications lawful and free use .
4.1 Open Office OpenOffice using the product, since version 2.4, free download at:
http://it.openoffice.org/ we can produce a PDF / A starting from a document created with this software or imported from other compatible software (eg size. doc) with the following steps:
1) Open the text document on the document drawn up with their instruments
2) From File menu item
choose then option
Export as PDF
3) From the Options Menu
PDF that arises in the General section, set the box
PDF/A-1
4) Activate the Export
5)
Save the document.
The document was saved (with extension. Pdf) will be in PDF / A.
Using il prodotto
OpenOffice, a partire dalla versione 3.0, e scaricabile sempre gratuitamente, è anche possibile gestire
l’esportazione in formato PDF/A di documenti importati da scanner o già disponibili in pdf “normale” E’ necessario scaricare ed installare
Sun PDF Import, un componente aggiuntivo per OpenOffice in grado di importare e modificare tutti i documenti in formato PDF, per scaricarlo usare il link seguente:
http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/pdfimport Tra le varie potenzialità
quest’estensione gratuita consente di acquisire un’immagine da scanner e di Exporting to PDF / A with the following steps:
1) Open the application
OpenOffice Writer
2) Choose Insert
3) Operate the choice
Image ,
by Scanner 4) Click Start
5) Acquired image go to his rescue
6) From the File menu item
then click the Export to PDF option 7) From the Options Menu
PDF that arises in the General section, set the box
PDF/A-1 8) Turn the key Export
9) Save the document with the name chosen
This extension also allows you to open and edit (write, edit ...) files in PDF format is very convenient and above all free.
Following is a video tutorial
4.2 Installing a virtual printer It 'still
can also use a virtual printer using that "print to PDF" from any application you have installed on your computer.
There are many solutions, both free and paid. In the field of free software use is particularly interesting
PDF Creator of PDF Forge.
E 'must have version 0.9.8 or later, using Ghostscript 8.64 to produce PDF files.
The software can be downloaded for free at
http://www.pdfforge.org This software allows a high level of management of the document in PDF format, to the best of our interest we must have the warning - When the window appears requesting the name of the file to be saved -
choose the PDF / A from lista a discesa dei formati.
Per gli appassionati di informatica è possibile operare installando direttamente Ghostscript 8.64,
scaricandolo da:
http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/doc/GPL/gpl864.htm Si tratta però di una modalità più impegnativa di installazione da parte dell’utente comune.
5. Controllo dei file PDF/A Purtroppo non esistono attualmente prodotti open source in grado di fornire un controllo affidabile dei file PDF/A.
Esistono al riguardo prodotti a pagamento, si veda al riguardo il sito:
www.pdfa.org a lla section Validate PDF / A Among the commercial products used should be noted:
- Adobe Acrobat 8 \u200b\u200bProfessional and higher , which supervises compliance of the document allespecifiche the ISO 19005 standard format defined. The verification feature is activated by selecting the link in the "About PDF" of the document.
This solutions that are not strictly economic. To verify this sporadic, such as that required for a common user can use a valid control (but not absolutely certain), made available by the software
free Acrobat Reader version 9.0 or later , operating as follows:
1) Open
Acrobat Reader 9.0 or later 2) from the Edit menu
and select Preferences
3) verify / set the '
option will display the documents in PDF / A with the value Only for PDF / A (usually in default installation).
opening a PDF document with Acrobat Reader 9 can appear automatically, to top, a blue bar with the information
"the document is displayed in PDF / A" .
If there is no such endorsement, certainly the format of the document is not compliant with PDF / A . If you see the words indicated, the document format should be compatible with the standard PDF / A, but the certainty of the format can be determined with certainty only with the tools listed first.
