ISO Technical Committee (TC) 171 “Document management applications” Sub-committee (SC) 2 “Document file formats, EDMS systems and authenticity of information” Working Groups (WGs) are responsible for many PDF-related ISO publications. The ISO TC 171 official website also provides information about the current program of work.
ISO TC 130 “Graphic Technology” WG 2 “Prepress data exchange” and related Task Forces (TFs) are responsible for PDF/X, PDF/VT, and other PDF-related graphic arts and commercial print applications. ISO TC 130 JWG 7 is the joint working group responsible for ICC and colour management. The ISO TC 130 official website provides additional information about standardization activities in the graphic arts industry.
For an opportunity to gain early access, review or actively participate in any of these work items via the PDF Association's Category A liaison with ISO, please join the PDF Association in order to access the relevant Technical Working Groups (TWGs). New proposals are always welcome!
Last updated: 6 December 2022
ISO TC 171 “Document management applications”
SC 2 “Document file formats, EDMS systems and authenticity of information”
WG 9 “PDF universal accessibility” (PDF/UA)
ISO TC 130 “Graphic technology”
TF 3: “Variable data exchange” (PDF/VT)
JWG 7: “Joint TC 130 - ICC WG: colour management”
Spring 2023: May 2023 (Virtual and In-Person - Paris, France)
WG 5 is responsible for the ISO 19005 family of PDF/A standards for long-term preservation including archival applications.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 19005-4 | Document management — Electronic document file format for long-term preservation — Part 4: Use of ISO 32000-2 (PDF/A-4) | PDF/A-4 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2025-12 | PDF/A TWG |
| ISO 19005-1 | Document management - Electronic document file format for long-term preservation - Part 1: Use of PDF 1.4 (PDF/A-1) | PDF/A-1 | Confirmed for additional 5 years | Systematic Review 2025-12 | PDF/A TWG |
| ISO 19005-2 | Document management - Electronic document file format for long-term preservation - Part 2: Use of ISO 32000-1 (PDF/A-2) | PDF/A-2 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2026-10 | PDF/A TWG |
| ISO 19005-3 | Document management - Electronic document file format for long-term preservation - Part 3: Use of ISO 32000-2 with support for embedded files (PDF/A-3) | PDF/A-3 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2023-03 | PDF/A TWG |
| ISO 18565 | Document management - AFP/Archive | AFP/A | Confirmed for additional 5 years | Systematic Review 2025-12 | PDF/A TWG |
| ISO 22550 | Document management - AFP interchange for PDF | AFP | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2026-12 | PDF/A TWG |
WG 7 is responsible for the ISO 24517 family of PDF/E standards as well as the other engineering features, 3D formats, and integrations with PDF, and ECMAscript (JavaScript) used with PDF.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 21757-1 | Document management – ECMAScript for PDF – Part 1: Use of ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0) | ECMAscript for PDF | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2025-12
|
PDF TWG |
| ISO/DTS 24064 | Document management – Portable Document Format – 3D data streams conforming to the ISO 10303:242 (STEP AP242) specification | STEP extension to PDF 2.0 | International Technical Specification | Publication Process | 3D PDF TWG |
| ISO 24517-1 | Document management - Engineering document format using PDF - Part 1: Use of PDF 1.6 (PDF/E-1) | PDF/E-1 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2022-04 | PDF TWG |
| ISO 14739-1 | Document management - 3D use of Product Representation Compact (PRC) format - Part 1: PRC 10001 | PRC | International Standard Published | NP to revise ISO 14739-1 is being developed | PDF TWG |
WG 8 is responsible for the ISO 320002 family of standards which defines the core PDF specification as well as other generally applicable PDF activities. WG8 also has various technical topics under preliminary discussion including the process for adopting extensions into future parts of ISO 32000, future 2D image compression formats for PDF, encryption and digital signature extensions for PDF and variable-width stroking extension for PDF.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 19444-1 | Document management - XML Forms Data Format - Part 1: Use of ISO 32000-2 (XFDF 3.0) | XFDF | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2024-08 | PDF TWG |
| ISO 23504-1 | Document management applications - Raster image transport and storage - Part 1: Use of ISO 32000 (PDF/R-1) | PDF/R-1 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2025-07 | PDF TWG |
| ISO 32000-1 | Document management - Portable Document Format - Part 1: PDF 1.7 | PDF 1.7 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2023-09 | PDF TWG |
| ISO 32000-2 | Document management – Portable Document Format – Part 2: PDF 2.0 | PDF 2.0 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2025-12 | PDF TWG |
| ISO/TS 32001 | Document management - Portable Document Format - Encryption and Hash algorithm support in ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0) | International Technical Specification | Systematic Review 2025-07 | PDF DigSig TWG | |
| ISO/TS 32002 | Document management - Portable Document Format - Extensions to Digital Signatures in ISO 32000-2 (PDF 2.0) | International Technical Specification | Systematic Review 2025-10 | PDF DigSig TWG | |
| ISO/DTS 32003 | Document management - Portable Document Format - Adding support of AES-GCM in PDF 2.0 | Working Draft Technical Specification | 8-week DTS Ballot in process | PDF DigSig TWG | |
| ISO/DTS 32004 | Document management - Portable Document Format - Integrity Protection in encrypted document in PDF 2.0 | Working Draft Technical Specification | Waiting for implementations | PDF DigSig TWG |
WG9 is responsible for the ISO 14289 family of PDF/UA standards, as well as expertise in Tagged PDF and accessibility.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 14289-1 | Document management applications - Electronic document file format enhancement for accessibility - Part 1: Use of ISO 32000-1 (PDF/UA-1) | PDF/UA-1 | Confirmed for additional 5 years | Systematic Review 2025-03 | PDF/UA TWG |
| ISO/DIS 14289-2 | Document management applications – Electronic document file format enhancement for accessibility – Part 2: Use of ISO 32000-2 (PDF/UA-2) | PDF/UA-2 | Draft International Standard (DIS) | 20-week DIS ballot to close 2023-04
|
PDF/UA TWG |
| ISO/DTS 32005 | Document management - Portable Document Format - PDF 1.7 and 2.0 structure namespace inclusion in ISO 32000-2 | Draft Technical Specification | 8-week DTS Ballot in process
|
PDF/UA TWG |
WG12 was recently created to extend the ISO 16684 family of XMP metadata standards.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 16684-1 | Graphic technology - Extensible metadata platform (XMP) - Part 1: Data model, serialization and core properties | XMP | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2023-04 | TBD |
| ISO 16684-2 | Graphic technology - Extensible metadata platform (XMP) - Part 2: Description of XMP schemas using RELAX NG | XMP-RELAX-NG | Confirmed for additional 5 years | Systematic Review 2025-03 | TBD |
| ISO 16684-3 | Graphic technology – Extensible metadata platform (XMP) specification – Part 3: JSON-LD serialization of XMP | XMP-JSON-LD | Approved for publication | Systematic Review 2027-08 | TBD |
| ISO/DIS 16684-4 | Graphic technology - Extensible metadata platform (XMP) specification - Part 4: Use of XMP for Semantic Units | XMP-4 | Committee Draft | 20-week DIS Ballot closes 2023-03-03
|
TBD |
Spring 2023: April 17-21, 2023 (Chiswick, London)
TF 2 is responsible for the ISO 15930 family of PDF/X standards as well as other aspects related to PDF in graphic arts and commercial printing applications. TF 2 is also currently researching methods to support nCLR ICC profiles with PDF.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 15930-9 | Graphic technology — Prepress digital data exchange using PDF — Part 9: Complete exchange of printing data (PDF/X-6) and partial exchange of printing data with external profile reference (PDF/X-6p and PDF/X-6n) using PDF 2.0 | PDF/X-6 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2025-11 | TBD |
| PDF/X Application Notes | PDF/X | Application Notes Published | TBD |
TF 3 is responsible for the ISO 16612 family of standards related to variable data printing.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 16612-3 | Graphic technology — Variable data exchange — Part 3: Using PDF/X-6 (PDF/VT-3) | PDF/VT-3 | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2025-11 | PDF/VT TWG |
TF 5 was responsible for ISO 21812-1:2019 Graphic technology — Print product metadata for PDF files — Part 1: Architecture and core requirements for metadata. There are no currently open work items in TF 5 and it may get officially disbanded soon.
JWG 7 is the joint working group responsible for ICC (ISO 15076-1:2010) and ICCmax (ISO 20677:2019) specifications, as well as many other colour-related technologies including ISO 18619:2015 Black point compensation.
| ISO Number | Official title | Common name | Current status | Next key date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO/CD TS 23534-1 | Interoperability conformance specification: Architecture for process colour plus spot colour overprint simulation - Part 1: Colormetric processing | Draft Technical Specification | Deleted from program of work | TBD | |
| ISO/TS 21830 | Black point compensation for n-colour ICC profiles | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2021-07 | TBD | |
| ISO/TS 23564 | Evaluating colour transform accuracy in ICC profiles | International Standard Published | Systematic Review 2023-01 | TBD |
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