ISO 19005-2:2011 specifies the use of the Portable Document Format (PDF) 1.7, as formalized in ISO 32000-1, for preserving the static visual representation of page-based electronic documents over time.

ISO 19005-2:2011 is not applicable to

• specific processes for converting paper or electronic documents to the PDF/A format,
• specific technical design, user interface, implementation, or operational details of rendering,
• specific physical methods of storing these documents, such as media and storage conditions,
• required computer hardware and/or operating systems.