E-mail List Archives
Thread: PDF Remediation Tools
Number of posts in this thread: 14 (In chronological order)
From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Fri, Feb 15 2013 8:09AM
Subject: PDF Remediation Tools
No previous message | Next message →
What tools are currently out there that can assist with PDF remediation?
Thanks,
Tim
From: Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez
Date: Fri, Feb 15 2013 8:34AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi Tim,
The PDF-Accessibility-Checker (PAC) from the "Access for All" Foundation
works very good.
You can check its features and download it for free from here:
http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html
Cheers,
Silvia
On 15 February 2013 16:09, Tim Harshbarger <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> What tools are currently out there that can assist with PDF remediation?
>
> Thanks,
> Tim
>
> > > >
--
*
........................................................................................................................
Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez*
EN/ FR/PT- ES translator and localiser
*Joint Doctoral Degree Candidate
University of Salamanca & University of Geneva*
Tel(s): (+41) 762.699.442 / (+34) 646.57.57.73
*http://www.issco.unige.ch/en/staff/rodriguez/ *
From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Fri, Feb 15 2013 10:36AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Common Look by NetCentric repairs PDFs. Especially helpful for remediating
complex tables.
http://www.commonlook.com/CommonLook-PDF
-Bevi Chagnon
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
www.PubCom.com - Trainers, Consultants, Designers, Developers.
Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and U.S. Federal Section 508
Accessibility.
New schedule for classes and workshops coming in 2013.
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Sat, Feb 16 2013 9:28PM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Tim and Silvia,
I love the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC), particularly for these two reasons:
* Its explanation of the source of an error and the repair needed is so much clearer than the information most people can glean from Acrobat's accessibility checker.
* Whenever a flaw in the PDF causes the checking process to fail, PAC will give you results for everything it was able to review up to the point where the flaw caused the failure. By contrast, Acrobat's checker simply crashes. By studying the features that PAC was checking when it crashed, I have been able to find and fix whatever caused the crash and then complete the check.
Having said that, I must point out that you can't fix the problems with PAC. You must either fix them in the source document—and then create a new PDF—or use another tool (Acrobat, for example) to repair the PDF itself.
It's a great checker. I've found it to be a great tool for introducing others to the process of reviewing and repairing PDFs. But it is only a checker, not a repair tool.
Cheers!
Cliff
From: Denis Boudreau
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 6:49AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi Cliff,
While I agree with you that PAC is a great checker, especially when introducing new people to PDFF remediation, I have to ask. Are you using Acrobat Pro X or XI?
Because I found that now that I've moved to Acrobat Pro XI, I don't need to use PAC so much anymore.
Best,
/Denis
On 2013-02-16, at 11:28 PM, Cliff Tyllick < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Tim and Silvia,
>
> I love the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC), particularly for these two reasons:
> * Its explanation of the source of an error and the repair needed is so much clearer than the information most people can glean from Acrobat's accessibility checker.
> * Whenever a flaw in the PDF causes the checking process to fail, PAC will give you results for everything it was able to review up to the point where the flaw caused the failure. By contrast, Acrobat's checker simply crashes. By studying the features that PAC was checking when it crashed, I have been able to find and fix whatever caused the crash and then complete the check.
> Having said that, I must point out that you can't fix the problems with PAC. You must either fix them in the source documentand then create a new PDFor use another tool (Acrobat, for example) to repair the PDF itself.
>
> It's a great checker. I've found it to be a great tool for introducing others to the process of reviewing and repairing PDFs. But it is only a checker, not a repair tool.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Cliff
>
>
>
> > From: Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 9:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Remediation Tools
>
> Hi Tim,
>
> The PDF-Accessibility-Checker (PAC) from the "Access for All" Foundation
> works very good.
>
> You can check its features and download it for free from here:
> http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html
>
> Cheers,
>
> Silvia
>
>
> On 15 February 2013 16:09, Tim Harshbarger <
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> What tools are currently out there that can assist with PDF remediation?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Tim
>>
>> >> >> >>
>
>
>
> --
> *
> ........................................................................................................................
> Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez*
> EN/ FR/PT- ES translator and localiser
> *Joint Doctoral Degree Candidate
> University of Salamanca & University of Geneva*
> Tel(s): (+41) 762.699.442 / (+34) 646.57.57.73
> *http://www.issco.unige.ch/en/staff/rodriguez/ *
> > > > > >
From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 8:09AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Hey gang
How well does PAC work on PDF forms? I have used it with great success
on PDF documents containing text and images, but I have not tried it
on PDF forms. From somewhere I got the firm believe that PAC doesn't
work with those, is that correct?
Cheers
-B
On 2/17/13, Denis Boudreau < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi Cliff,
>
> While I agree with you that PAC is a great checker, especially when
> introducing new people to PDFF remediation, I have to ask. Are you using
> Acrobat Pro X or XI?
>
> Because I found that now that I've moved to Acrobat Pro XI, I don't need to
> use PAC so much anymore.
>
> Best,
>
> /Denis
>
>
>
> On 2013-02-16, at 11:28 PM, Cliff Tyllick < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Tim and Silvia,
>>
>> I love the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC), particularly for these two
>> reasons:
>> * Its explanation of the source of an error and the repair needed is so
>> much clearer than the information most people can glean from Acrobat's
>> accessibility checker.
>> * Whenever a flaw in the PDF causes the checking process to fail, PAC
>> will give you results for everything it was able to review up to the point
>> where the flaw caused the failure. By contrast, Acrobat's checker simply
>> crashes. By studying the features that PAC was checking when it crashed, I
>> have been able to find and fix whatever caused the crash and then complete
>> the check.
>> Having said that, I must point out that you can't fix the problems with
>> PAC. You must either fix them in the source documentand then create a new
>> PDFor use another tool (Acrobat, for example) to repair the PDF itself.
>>
>> It's a great checker. I've found it to be a great tool for introducing
>> others to the process of reviewing and repairing PDFs. But it is only a
>> checker, not a repair tool.
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> Cliff
>>
>>
>>
>> >> From: Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 9:34 AM
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Remediation Tools
>>
>> Hi Tim,
>>
>> The PDF-Accessibility-Checker (PAC) from the "Access for All" Foundation
>> works very good.
>>
>> You can check its features and download it for free from here:
>> http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Silvia
>>
>>
>> On 15 February 2013 16:09, Tim Harshbarger <
>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>
>>> What tools are currently out there that can assist with PDF remediation?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Tim
>>>
>>> >>> >>> >>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *
>> ........................................................................................................................
>> Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez*
>> EN/ FR/PT- ES translator and localiser
>> *Joint Doctoral Degree Candidate
>> University of Salamanca & University of Geneva*
>> Tel(s): (+41) 762.699.442 / (+34) 646.57.57.73
>> *http://www.issco.unige.ch/en/staff/rodriguez/ *
>> >> >> >> >> >> >
> > > >
From: Cliff Tyllick
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 9:43AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Denis, I haven't worked with Acrobat XI for long, but I have not yet needed to use PAC since I converted to it. And I have noticed that the Acrobat's explanations of the errors and the methods for fixing them have improved significantly. Still, I do find PAC's interface and instructions easier for people new to analyzing the accessibility of PDFs to follow.
Of course, if you're relying on Microsoft Office's "Save As PDF" feature to create your PDFs because you don't have access to Acrobat (it's actually better than Acrobat 9; it's as good as Acrobat X and later), then PAC is an excellent option for verifying the accessibility of a PDF. (I haven't yet tested it against Microsoft Word 2010's accessibility checker.)
And, unfortunately for those of us who use Macs, PAC is available only for the Windows operating system.
Birkir, I don't specifically remember having problems remediating forms with PAC, but I don't specifically remember using it to check any, either. Until I can test further, I'll not speculate. Thanks for the reminder to specifically check that out.
Regards,
Cliff
From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 9:46AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Cliff
Definitely feel free and encouraged to share such results with us.
I will see if I can get around to this tomorrow myself, as I have a
few Livecycle created PDF forms to test.
On 2/17/13, Cliff Tyllick < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Denis, I haven't worked with Acrobat XI for long, but I have not yet needed
> to use PAC since I converted to it. And I have noticed that the Acrobat's
> explanations of the errors and the methods for fixing them have improved
> significantly. Still, I do find PAC's interface and instructions easier for
> people new to analyzing the accessibility of PDFs to follow.
>
> Of course, if you're relying on Microsoft Office's "Save As PDF" feature to
> create your PDFs because you don't have access to Acrobat (it's actually
> better than Acrobat 9; it's as good as Acrobat X and later), then PAC is an
> excellent option for verifying the accessibility of a PDF. (I haven't yet
> tested it against Microsoft Word 2010's accessibility checker.)
>
> And, unfortunately for those of us who use Macs, PAC is available only for
> the Windows operating system.
>
> Birkir, I don't specifically remember having problems remediating forms with
> PAC, but I don't specifically remember using it to check any, either. Until
> I can test further, I'll not speculate. Thanks for the reminder to
> specifically check that out.
>
> Regards,
>
> Cliff
>
>
>
>
> > From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 9:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Remediation Tools
>
> Hey gang
>
> How well does PAC work on PDF forms? I have used it with great success
> on PDF documents containing text and images, but I have not tried it
> on PDF forms. From somewhere I got the firm believe that PAC doesn't
> work with those, is that correct?
> Cheers
> -B
>
> On 2/17/13, Denis Boudreau < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> Hi Cliff,
>>
>> While I agree with you that PAC is a great checker, especially when
>> introducing new people to PDFF remediation, I have to ask. Are you using
>> Acrobat Pro X or XI?
>>
>> Because I found that now that I've moved to Acrobat Pro XI, I don't need
>> to
>> use PAC so much anymore.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> /Denis
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2013-02-16, at 11:28 PM, Cliff Tyllick < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>
>>> Tim and Silvia,
>>>
>>> I love the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC), particularly for these two
>>> reasons:
>>> * Its explanation of the source of an error and the repair needed is
>>> so
>>> much clearer than the information most people can glean from Acrobat's
>>> accessibility checker.
>>> * Whenever a flaw in the PDF causes the checking process to fail, PAC
>>> will give you results for everything it was able to review up to the
>>> point
>>> where the flaw caused the failure. By contrast, Acrobat's checker simply
>>> crashes. By studying the features that PAC was checking when it crashed,
>>> I
>>> have been able to find and fix whatever caused the crash and then
>>> complete
>>> the check.
>>> Having said that, I must point out that you can't fix the problems with
>>> PAC. You must either fix them in the source documentand then create a
>>> new
>>> PDFor use another tool (Acrobat, for example) to repair the PDF itself.
>>>
>>> It's a great checker. I've found it to be a great tool for introducing
>>> others to the process of reviewing and repairing PDFs. But it is only a
>>> checker, not a repair tool.
>>>
>>> Cheers!
>>>
>>> Cliff
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> >>> From: Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>>> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>>> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 9:34 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Remediation Tools
>>>
>>> Hi Tim,
>>>
>>> The PDF-Accessibility-Checker (PAC) from the "Access for All" Foundation
>>> works very good.
>>>
>>> You can check its features and download it for free from here:
>>> http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Silvia
>>>
>>>
>>> On 15 February 2013 16:09, Tim Harshbarger <
>>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>>
>>>> What tools are currently out there that can assist with PDF remediation?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Tim
>>>>
>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *
>>> ........................................................................................................................
>>> Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez*
>>> EN/ FR/PT- ES translator and localiser
>>> *Joint Doctoral Degree Candidate
>>> University of Salamanca & University of Geneva*
>>> Tel(s): (+41) 762.699.442 / (+34) 646.57.57.73
>>> *http://www.issco.unige.ch/en/staff/rodriguez/ *
>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>
>> >> >> >>
> > > > > > >
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 10:15AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Validation software may be restricted to syntax and similar issues, ignoring the task of evaluating reading order and tag choices. In such cases a file may easily "pass" this-or-that 'checker' with incorrectly ordered content and leaving tables tagged as figures (among many, many other issues).
To assure high-quality results, software that addresses accessibility in PDF files needs to account for the following:
- Verifying that the document's reading order is represented in the structure tree.
- Verifying that the tagging represents the semantic structures present.
Those interested in such software need to consider whether (and how) their chosen implementations address these needs.
The following information may be of interest.
- Advisory to vendors planning tools to create, check or repair PDF files for accessibility:
http://duff-johnson.com/2013/02/14/warning-human-judgment-required-for-pdfua-conformance/
- Update on the status of Matterhorn Protocol development:
http://www.pdfa.org/2013/01/pdfua-validation-the-matterhorn-protocol/
- Vendors planning support for PDF/UA:
http://duff-johnson.com/software-supporting-pdfua/
Duff Johnson
Independent Consultant
ISO 32000 Intl. Project Co-Leader, US Chairman
ISO 14289 US Chairman
PDF Association Vice-Chairman
+1 617 283 4226
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
http://duff-johnson.com
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 10:30AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
> Definitely feel free and encouraged to share such results with us.
> I will see if I can get around to this tomorrow myself, as I have a
> few Livecycle created PDF forms to test.
just don't forget that there are LiveCycle forms and there are PDF forms. It's important not to confuse the two...
Duff.
From: Jonathan C. Cohn
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 10:31AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Could somebody give a brief sample of the output from PAC?
THanks,
Jonathan Cohn
From: Denis Boudreau
Date: Sun, Feb 17 2013 5:32PM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
My experience with Acrobat XI has been that the error messaging that comes with the checker is so good now, that there's less and less need for PAC. I still like to validate with it, but I think it,s more out of habit than anything else.
/Denis
On 2013-02-17, at 11:43 AM, Cliff Tyllick < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Denis, I haven't worked with Acrobat XI for long, but I have not yet needed to use PAC since I converted to it. And I have noticed that the Acrobat's explanations of the errors and the methods for fixing them have improved significantly. Still, I do find PAC's interface and instructions easier for people new to analyzing the accessibility of PDFs to follow.
>
> Of course, if you're relying on Microsoft Office's "Save As PDF" feature to create your PDFs because you don't have access to Acrobat (it's actually better than Acrobat 9; it's as good as Acrobat X and later), then PAC is an excellent option for verifying the accessibility of a PDF. (I haven't yet tested it against Microsoft Word 2010's accessibility checker.)
>
> And, unfortunately for those of us who use Macs, PAC is available only for the Windows operating system.
>
> Birkir, I don't specifically remember having problems remediating forms with PAC, but I don't specifically remember using it to check any, either. Until I can test further, I'll not speculate. Thanks for the reminder to specifically check that out.
>
> Regards,
>
> Cliff
>
>
>
>
> > From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 9:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Remediation Tools
>
> Hey gang
>
> How well does PAC work on PDF forms? I have used it with great success
> on PDF documents containing text and images, but I have not tried it
> on PDF forms. From somewhere I got the firm believe that PAC doesn't
> work with those, is that correct?
> Cheers
> -B
>
> On 2/17/13, Denis Boudreau < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> Hi Cliff,
>>
>> While I agree with you that PAC is a great checker, especially when
>> introducing new people to PDFF remediation, I have to ask. Are you using
>> Acrobat Pro X or XI?
>>
>> Because I found that now that I've moved to Acrobat Pro XI, I don't need to
>> use PAC so much anymore.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> /Denis
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2013-02-16, at 11:28 PM, Cliff Tyllick < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>
>>> Tim and Silvia,
>>>
>>> I love the PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC), particularly for these two
>>> reasons:
>>> * Its explanation of the source of an error and the repair needed is so
>>> much clearer than the information most people can glean from Acrobat's
>>> accessibility checker.
>>> * Whenever a flaw in the PDF causes the checking process to fail, PAC
>>> will give you results for everything it was able to review up to the point
>>> where the flaw caused the failure. By contrast, Acrobat's checker simply
>>> crashes. By studying the features that PAC was checking when it crashed, I
>>> have been able to find and fix whatever caused the crash and then complete
>>> the check.
>>> Having said that, I must point out that you can't fix the problems with
>>> PAC. You must either fix them in the source documentand then create a new
>>> PDFor use another tool (Acrobat, for example) to repair the PDF itself.
>>>
>>> It's a great checker. I've found it to be a great tool for introducing
>>> others to the process of reviewing and repairing PDFs. But it is only a
>>> checker, not a repair tool.
>>>
>>> Cheers!
>>>
>>> Cliff
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> >>> From: Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>>> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>>> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 9:34 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] PDF Remediation Tools
>>>
>>> Hi Tim,
>>>
>>> The PDF-Accessibility-Checker (PAC) from the "Access for All" Foundation
>>> works very good.
>>>
>>> You can check its features and download it for free from here:
>>> http://www.access-for-all.ch/en/pdf-lab/pdf-accessibility-checker-pac.html
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Silvia
>>>
>>>
>>> On 15 February 2013 16:09, Tim Harshbarger <
>>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>>
>>>> What tools are currently out there that can assist with PDF remediation?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Tim
>>>>
>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *
>>> ........................................................................................................................
>>> Silvia Rodríguez Vázquez*
>>> EN/ FR/PT- ES translator and localiser
>>> *Joint Doctoral Degree Candidate
>>> University of Salamanca & University of Geneva*
>>> Tel(s): (+41) 762.699.442 / (+34) 646.57.57.73
>>> *http://www.issco.unige.ch/en/staff/rodriguez/ *
>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>
>> >> >> >>
> > > > > >
From: Wyant, Jay (MNIT)
Date: Tue, Feb 19 2013 9:48AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | Next message →
Re checking XFA Forms (PDF forms created in LiveCycle), a colleague recommended this fragment you add to a form you've created:
http://blogs.adobe.com/formfeed/category/xfa/page/2
She's found it to be the best (or...only?) tool so far for this type of PDF.
Welcome your thoughts!
Jay
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Tue, Feb 19 2013 10:09AM
Subject: Re: PDF Remediation Tools
← Previous message | No next message
Jay,
Thanks for reminding me! I'd forgotten about this thing. I never did play with it much, but the concept is extremely cool, and goes a long way towards addressing the problem in LCD forms, IMHO.
Some LCD guru should give it a serious workout on some fancy LCD forms and tell us how it does...
Duff.
On Feb 19, 2013, at 11:48 AM, Wyant, Jay (MNIT) wrote:
> Re checking XFA Forms (PDF forms created in LiveCycle), a colleague recommended this fragment you add to a form you've created:
> http://blogs.adobe.com/formfeed/category/xfa/page/2
>
> She's found it to be the best (or...only?) tool so far for this type of PDF.
>
> Welcome your thoughts!
>
> Jay