Using Watched Folders to Convert PDF files to PDF/A with Solid PDF Tools

Our last blog post showed how to write a command line application that watches a folder for PDF files and converts them to DOC. Due to the flexibility of scripting Solid PDF Tools Scan to PDF we can adapt this to other needs very easily.

For example, say you want your watched folder to convert PDF files to PDF/A-1b. Why would you want to convert PDF files to PDF/A? Because converting to and validating PDF/A files will help to ensure that they are archivable and will display the same now as they will in 40 years.

With a few minor changes to the script you now have a program that watches for PDF files and converts them to PDF/A:



The rest of the changes in the PDFAWatcher project [zip file] are just in implementation (e.g. checking to see if the folders that the original and converted files will be placed in exist and creating them if they do not).

If you want to adapt this project for your own needs you may wish to look at our scripting reference and our first post on scripting using Solid Documents software.