Documents uploaded to the publication server should be readable for as long as possible without restrictions due to technical problems. For this reason, it is necessary to save the documents at least in PDF format (Portable Document Format), better still in a PDF/A-compliant format file. PDF/A format ensures that all used fonts are embedded in the document. In addition, the document contains information about its structure, which makes it easier to use with an e-book reader or reading program (tagged PDF).
The publication must be single file uploaded and may No encryption or locking contain.
The only difference from the print version may be the resume, which can be omitted in the electronic version.
Since a document, when printed from a word processing program, may be displayed differently depending on the printer driver, it makes sense to use the generated PDF file as a print template and not the Word or OpenOffice file.
Ideally, the Table of Contents links to be able to jump directly to the individual document chapters from it.
Below are some instructions on how to create a PDF file that meets these requirements.
Microsoft Word 2010 and newer
As of version 2010, the creation of PDF/A compliant PDFs is integrated in Office. You will find the function in the menu "File"> "save as". Select "PDF" here in the drop-down menu for the data type and click on "Options" in the following window. In the window that opens, you can now set a check mark in the PDF options at the point "ISO 19005-1 compatible (PDF/A). This will create a PDF/A compliant file.
If you have used the style sheets for headings and an automatically generated table of contents, then the entries in the table of contents are automatically hyperlinks to the headings and this functionality is transferred to the PDF file.
OpenOffice
With OpenOffice, the export as PDF is included in the scope of functions. Select the menu item "File"> "Export as PDF".
In the following window, please activate the checkbox for the item "PDF/A-1a" in the "General" tab. For the display of graphics please use the settings "Optimized for JPEG compression" as well as quality 90 % and a resolution of at least 300 DPI.
Please set up the linking of the table of contents with the following steps: Click with the right mouse button in your table of contents and select from the appearing context menu the item "Edit directory". Select the "Entries" tab. You can now add hyperlinks to the formatting for each structural layer you want.
In the "Layer" list, click on a heading layer that you want to link to a hyperlink. In the "Structure and Formatting" section, click on the box to the left of "E#" and then click on "Hyperlink". This defines the start of the hyperlink (LS: Link Start). Then click on the field to the right of the last element you want to include in the link and click "Hyperlink" again. With this you define the end of the hyperlink (LE: Link End).
Repeat this step for all further layers for which you want to define links, or click "All" to automatically adjust the formatting for all layers. The links created in this way are automatically included in the PDF file.
Microsoft Word 2007 and older or other programs
A function for creating PDFs is only integrated in the Office package as of version 2010. Starting with Windows 10, the operating system provides an additional printer "Print to PDF", but this printer does not generate PDF/A-compliant PDFs. The results are only pdf1.7-compliant.
So if you want to convert your file into a PDF/A compliant file, you will be forced to install additional software.
PDF Software: PDF24
There are a number of tools that can be used to generate PDF files from any program. Such a tool must be installed in Windows and can then be selected from the "Print" menu. As a rule, in the course of the "printing process" another menu window appears, in which the setting PDF/A can be made.
Below you can find an example of suitable software. Please check the license terms of the software before using it!
PDF24: This software normally creates PDF 1.4, but can also be set to PDF/A. To do this, please select the "Save as…" button in the menu window of the software. In the following window please set the standard PDF/A-2b to get the desired structural properties.
The software contains some more useful functions for editing PDF files, e.g. deleting single pages or merging PDFs.
Adobe Acrobat
You can also create PDF/A-compliant files with the Adobe Acrobat program (for a fee). The procedure for this can be found in the documentation or. the help pages of the software.