I've question regarding the PDF/A specification and would appreciate some clarification.
The specs says:
"If an annotation dictionary contains the AP key, the appearance dictionary that it defines as its value shall contain only the N key, whose value shall be a stream defining the appearance of the annotation. [...] Every form field shall have an appearance dictionary associated with the field's data. A conforming reader shall render the field according to the appearance dictionary without regard to the form data."
Now i have a document which is fully PDF/A compliant however the acrobat preflight (8 & 9) check fails with the message that my checkboxes do not only contain the /N key. However they do contain just the /N (normal) appearances.
1.) So what's the problem? (Can't think that this should be a bug since intarsys PDF/A validation also reports it...)
The PDF Spec 1.4 defines the 'normal' appearance of a checkbox like that:
/AP << /N << /On formXObject1 /Off formXObject2>>>>
2.) Or does the spec mean, that there can only be one appearance inside the /N enty?
Then PDF 1.4 states:
"The appearance for the off state is optional, but if present must be stored in the appearance dictionary under the name Off."
3.) So if i only define the "On" state the document will become fully PDF/A compliant?
4.) And what about the Appearance state (AS)? PDF 1.4 states:
"The choice between the checked and unchecked appearance states is determined by the AS entry in the annotation dictionary"
But PDF/A does not mention the /AS key but it is vital for checkboxes...?! According to the spec a viewer has to "render the field according to the appearance dictionary" -> but checkboxes can have two states ....
Thanks for bringing any light on this!
/ToM