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PDF Submission Guidelines for Accessible Files

  • Updated

Creating accessible files helps ensure that all readers, including those with disabilities, can fully engage with content. The guidance below outlines widely recognized best practices for producing accessible PDF files.

Providing accessible files at the time of submission improves the reader experience and can reduce the need for downstream remediation.

PDF submission guidelines

We encourage publishers to submit PDFs that align with WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA standards where possible.

Common authoring tools

Structured and tagged content

PDFs should be exported with structural tagging enabled (for example, “PDF (Interactive)” in Word or InDesign).

When preparing PDFs, consider the following:

Headings

  • Use a clear hierarchical heading structure (H1 → H2 → H3, etc.).
  • Avoid skipping heading levels unless structurally necessary.

Paragraphs and Lists

  • Ensure body text is tagged as paragraph content.
  • Use properly structured ordered and unordered lists.

Tables

  • Apply appropriate table structure tags.
  • Identify header cells and ensure proper associations.

Images and non-text content

  • Provide meaningful alternative text for informative images.
  • Avoid repeating caption text in alt text.
  • Mark decorative images as artifacts.
  • For complex visuals (charts, graphs, diagrams), include detailed alt text or a nearby long description.

Links

  • Use descriptive link text that is meaningful out of context.
  • Avoid raw URLs unless the URL itself conveys meaningful information.

Mathematical content

  • Where possible, embed MathML or provide equivalent descriptive markup within the PDF structure.

Reading order and logical structure

  • The reading order follows the intended visual and logical sequence.
  • Multi-column layouts and complex formatting preserve correct reading sequence.

Document-level accessibility features

In addition to tagging and structure, there are several other important features that help make your PDF files more accessible:

Color contrast

  • Text should meet WCAG contrast thresholds:
    • 4.5:1 for normal text
    • 3:1 for large text (18pt regular or 14pt bold and above)
  • Avoid relying solely on color to convey meaning.

Bookmarks

  • For multi-page documents, include bookmarks that reflect the heading structure.
  • Use clear, descriptive bookmark labels.

Metadata

Include document properties such as:

  • Document title (distinct from file name)
    • The document title should be set to display in the PDF viewer window.
  • Author (if applicable)
  • Subject and keywords (recommended)

Language

  • Define the primary document language.
  • Identify language changes within the document where applicable.

Fonts

  • Embed all fonts.
  • Use Unicode-compliant fonts that support required character sets.

PDF testing and validation

After export, accessibility can be evaluated using tools such as:

Automated tools can help identify:

  • Missing document titles
  • Missing alternative text
  • Language settings
  • Untagged or improperly tagged content

In addition to automated testing, a brief manual review is recommended to confirm:

  • Logical reading and tag order
  • Color contrast
  • Screen reader usability (e.g., NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)

For simple, linear documents, automated validation combined with spot-checking may be sufficient. More complex documents (e.g., those with tables, charts, or multi-column layouts) may benefit from a more thorough manual review.

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