UA1 Validator / PDF/UA-1 rules / 7.20-2

PDF/UA-1 · CLAUSE 7.20

Form XObject content is not properly structured

The file uses reference XObjects, which PDF/UA forbids, or the content inside a Form XObject is not incorporated into the structure tree.

Rule 7.20-2 ISO 14289-1 Object: PDXForm

Why it matters

Content drawn inside these objects is invisible to assistive technology even though it is visible on the page.

How to fix it

  • Remove reference XObjects and embed the content directly.
  • Tag the content inside Form XObjects so it appears in the structure tree.
  • Re-export from the source application: this class of problem is rarely worth fixing by hand.
WCAG 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A)

What the standard says

The content of Form XObjects shall be incorporated into structure elements according to ISO 32000-1:2008, 14.7.2

Check your own PDF

Validate a file against PDF/UA-1 and see whether this rule fails in your document.

Open the validator Automate in CI 
curl -sS -X POST "https://api.ua1.dev/api/validate?format=compact&profile=ua1" \
  -F "file=@document.pdf"