Export PDF/A and Tagged PDF
PDF/A is an archival target; tagged PDF and PDF/UA address document structure and accessibility. The sample adds alternative text for its chart and image, then requests PDF/A-2b and PDF/UA separately. Validate the produced files with a standards validator, then inspect headings, reading order, language and alternative text. An export option alone does not establish full accessibility.
Run the example
Download the complete project. It includes all source, SDK settings and locked NuGet dependencies. The code creates its own four-slide input with a hidden slide, speaker notes, a table, chart and picture.
These projects were tested on Windows x64 with Arial and the .NET SDK 8.0.427 pinned by global.json. Their synthetic picture generator uses System.Drawing on Windows. For a separately tested Linux environment, see the Docker converter. Restore the pinned Aspose.Slides.NET package and set ASPOSE_LICENSE_PATH to your license file for unrestricted results; evaluation mode adds a watermark and limits extracted text. See installation and licensing.
dotnet run --project Example.csproj --configuration Release
Complete C# example
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text.Json;
using Aspose.Slides;
using Aspose.Slides.Animation;
using Aspose.Slides.Charts;
using Aspose.Slides.Export;
using Aspose.Slides.SlideShow;
internal static class Program
{
private static void Main()
{
var licensePath = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("ASPOSE_LICENSE_PATH");
if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(licensePath)) new License().SetLicense(licensePath);
using var source = CreateSource();
source.Save("source.pptx", SaveFormat.Pptx);
source.DocumentProperties.Title = "Accessible sample";
source.DocumentProperties.Author = "Example author";
foreach (var slide in source.Slides)
foreach (var shape in slide.Shapes)
{
if (shape is IChart) shape.AlternativeText = "Example column chart comparing three series across three categories.";
if (shape is IPictureFrame) shape.AlternativeText = "Solid cornflower-blue rectangle.";
}
source.Save("archive.pdf", SaveFormat.Pdf, new PdfOptions { Compliance = PdfCompliance.PdfA2b });
source.Save("tagged.pdf", SaveFormat.Pdf, new PdfOptions { Compliance = PdfCompliance.PdfUa });
Report(new { archival_output = File.Exists("archive.pdf"), tagged_output = File.Exists("tagged.pdf") });
}
private static Presentation CreateSource()
{
var deck = new Presentation();
deck.SlideSize.SetSize(640, 360, SlideSizeScaleType.DoNotScale);
var layout = deck.LayoutSlides.GetByType(SlideLayoutType.Blank);
string[] labels = { "Alpha", "Bravo", "Charlie", "Hidden" };
for (int i = 0; i < labels.Length; i++)
{
var slide = i == 0 ? deck.Slides[0] : deck.Slides.AddEmptySlide(layout);
var shape = slide.Shapes.AddAutoShape(ShapeType.Rectangle, 30, 20, 580, 55);
shape.TextFrame.Text = labels[i];
shape.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].Portions[0].PortionFormat.LatinFont = new FontData("Arial");
shape.TextFrame.Paragraphs[0].Portions[0].PortionFormat.FontHeight = 26;
slide.NotesSlideManager.AddNotesSlide().NotesTextFrame.Text = "Speaker note " + labels[i];
slide.Hidden = i == 3;
}
var table = deck.Slides[0].Shapes.AddTable(30, 100, new double[] { 140, 100 }, new double[] { 35, 35 });
table[0, 0].TextFrame.Text = "Product";
table[1, 0].TextFrame.Text = "Units";
table[0, 1].TextFrame.Text = "Pens";
table[1, 1].TextFrame.Text = "12";
deck.Slides[1].Shapes.AddChart(ChartType.ClusteredColumn, 30, 100, 400, 220);
using (var bitmap = new Bitmap(100, 60))
{
using (var graphics = Graphics.FromImage(bitmap)) graphics.Clear(Color.CornflowerBlue);
using var stream = new MemoryStream();
bitmap.Save(stream, System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png);
var image = deck.Images.AddImage(stream.ToArray());
deck.Slides[2].Shapes.AddPictureFrame(ShapeType.Rectangle, 50, 120, 200, 120, image);
}
deck.Slides[0].Timeline.MainSequence.AddEffect(deck.Slides[0].Shapes[0], EffectType.Fade, EffectSubtype.None, EffectTriggerType.AfterPrevious);
deck.Slides[0].SlideShowTransition.Type = TransitionType.Fade;
return deck;
}
private static void Report(object values)
{
string json = JsonSerializer.Serialize(values, new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true });
File.WriteAllText("result.json", json);
Console.WriteLine(json);
}
}
Expected result
The program writes “archive.pdf”, “tagged.pdf” beside the project, plus the synthetic source.pptx and a result.json summary. Inspect the rendered/exported files with the viewer appropriate to the format. Input generation is visible in CreateSource; replace it with opening your own presentation when adapting the example.
Continue with the detailed guide.