PDF Standards

Standards Home | Use on CDE Websites | Basic Requirements & Checks | Filename | Metadata | Text
Headings | Hyperlinks | Color | Visual Elements | Tables | Additional Requirements & Resources

Factors, such as complexity of content, layout, formatting, document source, conversion method, and the remediation skillset of the person preparing a PDF, may affect the amount of time and effort required to make a PDF compliant with the CDE’s PDF Standards.

To minimize the resources and experience required to produce compliant PDFs, we recommend starting with a fully accessible Microsoft Word or PowerPoint document. Converting to PDF from software such as Microsoft Publisher, Canva, Google Docs, and Google Slides will increase the difficulty of producing a compliant PDF. Although Adobe InDesign can be an excellent source for an accessible PDF document, it requires a higher level of skill to do so.

Editing an existing PDF often introduces accessibility errors that can be difficult to remediate. We recommend maintaining a copy of a PDF’s source document for edits and subsequent conversion to PDF.

Use on CDE Websites

The CDE prefers to have its websites (i.e., cde.ca.gov base domain) comprised primarily of web pages. PDF documents posted to CDE websites must have an approved use.

Approved Use

1. Content that is at least 10-pages in length.
2. Content that is required by law or by CDE policy to be in a specific format, layout, or to specifically be in PDF.
3. Brochures, CDE Press publications, equipment manuals, flyers, forms and templates, newsletters, software guides, training manuals.
4. Content that is already in PDF from an external (non-CDE) source, the source content cannot be linked to, and it would be inappropriate to convert the content into one or more CDE web pages.
5. Content that is difficult to format as a web page, and the format in PDF is essential to the effectiveness of the presentation of the content.
6. Specific content:
   1. When linked from the Historical Documents Section of the CDE website.
   2. Non-English documents.
   3. Documents related to a CDE funding profile and posted in the appropriate "R" folder on the primary CDE website.
7. Documents used for meetings of the California State Board of Education (SBE) or its sub-committees, including: agenda items, agenda item attachments, minutes, summaries of meetings, or summaries of actions. However, excludes agendas themselves, which must be presented as web pages.
8. Conversions of MS PowerPoint presentations.
9. Documents on older versions of CDE letterhead.

Prohibited Use

10. Correspondence content that can utilize a CDE Correspondence template for web pages, is not associated with a CDE funding profile, and is under 10-pages.
11. When used as a replacement for web pages. For example, the document functions as a landing page rather than as a stand-alone document.

Basic Requirements & Checks

File Properties & Required Elements

1. Is saved as a .pdf format file.
2. Opens in a consistent and predictable manner.
   
   1. Navigation tab is set to Page Only, or is set to Bookmarks Panel and Page if bookmarks are used.
   2. Page layout is set to Single Page.
   3. Magnification is set to 100 percent.
3. Page size is set to Letter (i.e., 8.5" x 11").
   1. Exception: If page size is set to Legal (i.e., 8.5" x 14"), a note indicating that the document is designed to be printed on Legal size paper is provided in the document.
   2. Exception: If page size is not set to Letter or Legal, a cover page is added with specific printing information and an explanation for the non-standard page size.
4. Has a metadata Title and Description (Subject) in the Document Properties. See the Metadata Title & Description section for more information.
5. Author is left blank in the Document Properties.
6. Has the appropriate default language set.
   1. Specifies the language for a passage or phrase when it is different from the primary document language.
7. A document title (i.e., Heading 1) is present at the top of the document. When possible, the document title should be the first item on the page. See the Headings section for more information.
8. Content that provides attribution of ownership/authorship is present on the first page, or at the bottom of the last page of the document. For example, "California Department of Education," "State Board of Education," or "U.S. Department of Education."
9. A date of authorship or of posting is present on the first page, or at the bottom of the last page of the document.

Recommended File Properties

10. Content Copying for Accessibility is set to Allowed in the Document Properties.

Features & Styles

11. Correct tags have been applied to all content (i.e., artifacts, body text, footnotes, form fields, headings, hyperlinks, images, lists, table of contents, tables), and non-standard tags are mapped appropriately in the Role Map.
    For example, tags are used appropriately to:
    1. Designate headings. Headings must be used in the appropriate sequence. See the Headings section for more information.
    2. Structure Table of Contents lists (i.e., <TOC> and <TOCI>).
    3. Structure lists. At minimum, <L> and <LI> are used. Note: the <Lbl> and <LBody> tags are often children of the <LI> tag.
       1. Tags are used and nested appropriately to structure sub-lists.
    4. Structure tables. See the Tables section for more information.
    5. Structured hyperlinks. See the Hyperlinks section for more information.
12. All meaningful content appears in the Tags panel (Accessibility tags panel) and are read in the correct order.
13. Security settings do not interfere with assistive technology.
14. Uses bookmarks in documents 21 pages in length or longer.
15. Comments are removed unless they are intended for viewing.

Recommended Features & Styles

16. Although container element tags (i.e., <Part>, <Art>, <Sect>, <Div>) can be useful for organizing document content, and the <Span> inline element tag for conveying semantic meaning, the deep nesting caused by excessive and unnecessary use of these tags can impede the accessibility review of a PDF document and delay its posting to our website. We encourage PDF developers to remove unnecessary tags when preparing PDF documents, so that required tags are not obscured.
17. Verify the page content order matches the tag order.
    Note: Page content order is found in the Order panel and the Reading Order tool. Tag order is found in the Tags panel (Accessibility tags panel).

Required Checks

18. Is free of spelling and grammar errors.
19. Is free of Adobe Acrobat accessibility checker errors. Use the bult-in Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Check tool.
    1. Where the Accessibility Checker indicates a manual check is needed, a manual check must be completed and accessibility violations fixed.
20. Active hyperlinks are not broken. Use a link checker if available. See the Hyperlinks section for more information.
21. Is navigable in a logical and intuitive order, and all document functionality is available when used with keyboard only.
22. Vital content contained in a page header, page footer, or watermark is duplicated in the body of the document.
23. Content that is repetitive or decorative is tagged as an artifact.
24. Is free of content that relies solely upon shape, size, visual location, color, or sound to convey meaning.
25. CDE correspondence adheres to the CDE Correspondence Guide. All other CDE content adheres to the CDE Style Manual.
    1. Exception: Abbreviations do not need to be spelled out upon first use in the metadata Title. See the Metadata Title & Description section for more information.
    2. Exception: Abbreviations do not need to be spelled out upon first use in a heading if doing so makes the heading excessively long. Abbreviations not spelled out in headings need to be spelled out at the next available opportunity.

Recommended Checks

26. Works equivalently with common screen readers. (e.g., Read Out Loud, JAWS, NVDA).
27. Works well on all devices, including phones and tablets.
28. Is readable and functional when View is set to Reflow.

Filename

PDF documents posted to CDE websites (i.e., cde.ca.gov base domain) have filenames that are created in a consistent manner by adhering to the following:

1. Is less than or equal to 24 characters.
2. To the extent possible, relates to the document title.
3. Does not use spaces or symbols other than hyphen ( - ).
4. Starts with an alphabetic character.
5. Is all lowercase.

Metadata Title & Description

Note: Metadata standards for documents related to CDE Funding Profiles and for documents posted to State Special Schools and Diagnostic Centers websites differ from those for other CDE documents, and are available to CDE staff on the CDE Intranet website.

Metadata Title

Note: The metadata Title is the Title in the document File Properties.

1. Is unique on its website.
2. Is concise, identifies the document, and is similar to the H1 title of the document.
3. Uses title case.
4. Only uses abbreviations if they are defined within the metadata Title or the metadata Description.

Additional Requirements for Documents Posted to the Main CDE or the CDE Intranet Websites

Note: The Main CDE website is https://www.cde.ca.gov. The CDE Intranet website is http://intranet.cde.ca.gov.

5. Has a metadata title that is comprised of the following three parts:
   1. Document Title: The Document Title meets the following:
      1. Is less than or equal to 50 characters, inclusive of spaces and punctuation.
      2. Is followed by one space, a hyphen, and one space.
   2. Sub-sub-topic: The name of the directory where the document is housed follows the Document Title, and is followed by one space. Most documents are housed at the Sub-sub-topic level. If the document is housed at the Sub-topic level, use the Sub-topic name instead.
   3. Website: The name of the website is enclosed in parentheses.
      1. Use (CA Dept of Education) for the Main CDE website.
      2. Use (CDE Intranet) for the CDE Intranet website.

Example Metadata Title for a Document Posted to a CDE Website: Friendships and Mental Health - Mental Health (CA Dept of Education)

Metadata Description

Note: The metadata Description is the Subject in the document File Properties.

6. Uses up to 250 characters (inclusive of spaces and punctuation) to describe the document, its audience, and purpose or usage. Can be a sentence, multiple sentences, or sentence fragments.
7. Is not a mere restatement of the title.
8. Defines any abbreviations not spelled out in the metadata Title and any abbreviation used in the metadata Description.
9. Ends with a period.

Text

This section contains general standards for all PDF documents and additional standards for those developed by or on behalf of CDE for consistency.

1. Uses text, not images of text in place of actual text. See the Visual Elements section for more information.
2. Uses fonts that are easy to read and that are available on most devices.
   1. Text must be readable and functional when resized up to 200%.
   2. All characters are Unicode values.
3. Uses MathML for mathematical equations.
4. Whenever possible, semantic text is used instead of special characters or symbols.
   1. Examples:
      1. "Yes/No" is used instead of "Y/N."
      2. "X" (or any other symbol) is not used to mean applicable.
      3. "0," "none" or "N/A," is used instead of a blank space to convey "zero," "nothing," or "not applicable."
   2. When special characters or symbols are used (including letters as symbols), the symbols are defined on or before their first use.
      1. Exception: Asterisks do not need to be defined when used for standard notes.
5. Does not use device-specific words (e.g., click, hover) when there is an available alternative (e.g., select, navigate).
6. When formatting such as strikethrough is added to text, the meaning of the formatting is explained in a bracketed note immediately after the formatted text.
   1. Extensive use of strikethrough or similar formatting requires indications of where the formatting begins and ends (e.g., diff-marking).
   2. Note: As an alternative to strikethrough and diff-marking, consider using a comparison table that shows the original text compared with the modified text. This works well for long sections of modified language, such as changes in law.

Additional Requirements when Developed by or on Behalf of CDE

7. Uses 12-point font or larger.
   1. Exception: Footnotes use 10-point font or larger.
8. Uses Arial font.
   1. Exception: Content that is in a language other than English may use other fonts when necessary, as long as the font is comparable in readability to Arial 12 point font or larger.
   2. Exception: Flyers, newsletters, brochures, or CDE Press publications can use different fonts if they are available on most devices and comparable in readability to Arial 12-point font or larger.
9. Underlines are not used except with active hyperlinks.
   1. Exception: Underlines may be used to indicate the text of laws or regulations that are being added, modified, or deleted as prescribed by the California Office of Administrative Law.
10. All caps are not used unless for acronyms and initialisms.
11. Large sections of bold or italicized text are not used.
12. Justified text alignment is not used.
    1. Exception: Although not recommended, flyers, newsletters, brochures, or CDE Press publications may use justified text alignment.

Headings

1. Uses heading tags (i.e., <H1> through <H6>) appropriately to identify the document title and section divisions (i.e., Heading level 1 through Heading level 6) in the document.
   1. Visual alterations of text are not used in place of headings to indicate document title and section divisions. Text that is not a document title or section division does not use a heading.
   2. Headings are not combined with other formatting, such as hyperlinks or table headers.
      1. Exception: Italics are permitted when otherwise required, but not for additional emphasis.
      2. Note: Headings can be used within table data cells when necessary.
2. Heading levels are used in a hierarchical order (most important to least important) to form a logical outline of the document, with Heading level 1 having the highest level of importance.
   1. Heading level 1 is used for the document title on the first page of the document, and only once per document.
      1. When the document is a sub-section of a larger set of files, the main title of the complete set of files must be included as part of the Heading level 1. For example, "Chapter 3" is not a sufficient document title on its own, since it clearly implies that the document is part of something larger.
   2. Heading levels are skipped only when necessary to maintain object (e.g., charts, cut-outs, figures, graphs, images, shapes, snapshots, tables, vignettes) title hierarchy.
3. Each heading level maintains consistent formatting throughout the document (e.g., all Heading 2s are formatted the same throughout the document).
   1. Exception: Headings may be used for object titles and may deviate in visual formatting from the established document headings. Object title headings of the same type are formatted consistently (e.g., all table titles are formatted the same, all figure titles are formatted the same).
4. Visual hierarchy of headings corresponds with the actual hierarchy of the headings. For example, using formatting such as text size and weight, a Heading level 1 will be visually more pronounced than a Heading level 2, and so on.

Recommendations

5. Headings use Title Case.
6. Headings are not followed by a colon or period.

Hyperlinks

At the CDE, PDF documents can use either hyperlinked descriptive text, hyperlinked Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), or both. Generally, descriptive links are best, however linked URLs may be more useful in documents that will be printed or when used in footnotes, endnotes, or appendices.

All Hyperlinks

1. Uses the <Link> tag with a nested <Link-OBJR> tag to properly structure hyperlinks.
2. Hyperlinks are not broken. A hyperlink is considered broken if it does not resolve to the indicated content or returns an HTTP 404 error.
   
3. Hyperlinks are used and styled (including color) consistently throughout the document.
4. Hyperlinks with the same linked text or the same URL resolve to the same destination.
   1. Exception: Tables may contain multiple hyperlinks with the same hyperlink text but different underlying destinations, as long as they are defined by table row.
      1. Example: 'Add,' 'Edit,' 'Delete' links are often used in a table 'Action' column.
5. Hyperlinks are underlined and have sufficient color contrast to distinguish them visibly from non-hyperlinked content. See the Color section for more information.
   1. Exception: Hyperlinks that are part of a Table of Contents need not be underlined and may use any accessible color, including that of the other text within the document.
6. Uses hyperlinked descriptive text rather than hyperlinked URLs unless there is a need to use hyperlinked URLs.
7. Avoid using words and phrases that indicate that a hyperlink is a link. For example, do not include "link," "link to," or "this link goes to" in hyperlinked descriptive text or in a hyperlink's Alternate Text.
8. Very short adjacent hyperlinks have sufficient size or adequate whitespace between them.
9. Although not usually recommended in PDF documents, hyperlinks may contain date notations. See the Link Notations sub-section for more information.

Hyperlinked Descriptive Text

10. Hyperlink text by itself provides a clear and concise description of the link destination or its purpose (e.g., no “click here” or “more” links).
    1. Recommendation: If the title on the hyperlink's destination web page gives an accurate summary, consider using it for the hyperlink text.
11. Hyperlinks that point to a domain (e.g., cde.ca.gov is a domain) that is different from the host domain of the PDF document, indicate the external source in the hyperlinked descriptive text or in a link notation. See the Link Notations sub-section for more information.

URLs and Email Addresses

12. All URLs and email addresses are active hyperlinks.
    1. Exception: Public comments must not include active hyperlinks.
    2. Exception: Data within tables (optional, be consistent).
    3. Exception: Stricken, inactivated, and noted as a broken link.
13. Descriptive text is added to the hyperlinked URL's Alternate Text.
14. URLs begin with "https://" protocol.
15. The visible URL or email address is the same as the underlying URL or email address.
16. URL length may be reduced by using the following URL shortening service:
    1. bitly

Link Notations

Some hyperlinks require linked meta information to provide users of assistive technology with pertinent details about the hyperlinks. This is referred to as link notation. Structuring link notation consistently throughout a document is recommended. Link notations may be comprised of the following two elements, in the following order:

• External Source (Required if applicable)
  
• Date & Modifier (Optional)
  

External Source

17. Is only used with hyperlinked descriptive text, not with hyperlinked URLs.
    
18. Hyperlinks that point to a domain (e.g., cde.ca.gov is a domain) that is different from the host domain of the PDF document, and do not contain the external source in the hyperlinked descriptive text, use either the actual external source (e.g., US Department of Education) or "External Link" in the link notation.
    

Date & Modifier

The addition of a date in PDF documents is not recommended but is optional and may be used with any kind of hyperlink. Date link notations must adhere to the following, if used:

19. Follows the DD-Mmm-YYYY or Mmm-YYYY format.
    
20. Is prepended with one of the following modifiers:
    
    1. Certified
       
    2. Corrected
       
    3. Dated
       
    4. Effective
       
    5. Modified
       
    6. New (May be used for 60 days or less.)
       
    7. Notice Published
       
    8. Posted
       
    9. Published
       
    10. Recertified
        
    11. Revised
        
    12. Suspended
        
    13. Updated
        

Coming Soon

"Coming Soon" is not link notation but may be used similarly with text that will become a link within 60 days.

21. Bold is applied to text that will become a link.
    
22. "Coming Soon" is placed within parentheses, one space after the text that will become a link. "(Coming Soon)" is not bold.
    

Link Notation Formatting

23. Link notations are included as part of the associated hyperlink.
    
24. Link notations are placed in parentheses, one space after the hyperlink text or URL.
    
25. All applicable link notation elements are separated by a semicolon and a space.
    

Link Examples

Note: This section contains examples of hyperlinks in a PDF document to an MS Excel workbook. They are styled to look like hyperlinks but are not functional.

26. US Department of Education Web Workbook Name
    1. Note: This example does not require a link notation since the source is included in the hyperlinked descriptive text.
       
27. Web Workbook Name (US Department of Education)
    
28. Web Workbook Name (External Link; Added Sep-2023)
    
29. https://www.sampledomain/sampleworkbook.xlsx (Posted 05-Sep-2023)
    
    1. Note: This example requires a link notation because of the inclusion of a posted date.
       
30. Web Workbook Name (Coming Soon)

Color

1. Color alone does not convey meaning.
   1. Non-text content (e.g., visual elements) use patterns to convey the same information as color.
2. Ensure sufficient color contrast between all content that conveys meaning and its background, with a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
   
   1. Exception: Text that is considered large-scale (i.e., at least 18 point or at least 14 point and bold) must meet a lesser contrast ratio of 3:1, at minimum.
   2. Exception: Non-text elements have a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 against adjacent colors.
   3. Exception: If a non-text element is accompanied by contrast-conformant text that conveys the same information as the non-text element, there is no required contrast ratio between adjacent colors.
      1. Example: Though not recommended, a pie chart with minimal contrast between adjacent colors is acceptable as long as each pie wedge has contrast-conformant labels that convey the same information.
   4. Exception: Text and non-text elements that are part of a logo or brand name have no contrast requirement.
   5. When there is a mixed or gradient background, measure color contrast at the point with the least contrast to determine compliance.
   6. Applies to all hyperlink states (e.g., visited, unvisited).

Recommendations

3. For consistency, most PDF documents should predominantly use a black font on a white background.
4. For consistency, if using red as an alert, a reminder, or a warning, use Boston University Red (#CC0000 or Red Green Blue [rgb] 204,0,0).
5. While standard hyperlink blue is not required for hyperlink text, it is the most expected color for hyperlinks and helps with usability. For consistency, use a medium-dark shade of cyan-blue (#0563C1 or Red Green Blue [rgb] 5,99,193) for hyperlinks.

Visual Elements

CDE defines visual elements as objects such as charts, diagrams, figures, flow charts, graphics, illustrations, images, maps, organizational charts, photos, shapes.

1. Permission to use a visual element has been obtained:
   1. The visual element has been created by CDE staff, CDE is the copyright holder of the visual element, or the visual element is owned by or on behalf of CDE.
      1. For use of the official CDE Seal image, permission has been obtained through CDE Press.
   2. When CDE is not the copyright holder, explicit permission to use the visual element for its intended use has been obtained (free or paid), and documentation that establishes CDE's permission to use the visual element is retained as long as the visual element continues to be used.
   3. Except for stock photos where clearance has been established, visual elements that include identifiable minor children must have written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
2. Informative visual elements (contain text or convey meaning) must have equivalent text in the form of alternative text, adjacent text, or a long description.
   1. Alternative Text: Where an Alternative Text field is available, alternative text is added to the Alternative Text field. Alternative text is sufficient if it describes the content and purpose of the visual element equivalently in 30 words or less. If alternative text alone cannot provide full equivalency, it must be combined with adjacent text or a long description.
   2. Adjacent Text: Text adjacent to the visual element describes the content and purpose of the visual element equivalently. Alternative text is added to provide the name of the visual element and indicates where the associated adjacent text is located. If alternative text alone is not sufficient, and adjacent text is not preferred, practical or possible, a long description must be used.
   3. Long Description: A long description must be used if either the alternative text alone or adjacent text cannot provide full equivalency.
      1. An active hyperlink adjacent to the visual element is present with hyperlink text that names the image and indicates the hyperlink leads to a long description of the visual element. The hyperlink may lead to another portion of the same document or a separate web page or document that has the fully equivalent text version of the visual element.
      2. An active hyperlink adjacent to the long description of the visual element is present and leads back to the visual element.
      3. The visual element's Alternative Text names the visual element and indicates where a hyperlink to the long description can be found.
3. Visual elements that contain text, include the text or a comparable summary in the equivalent text.
4. Equivalent text should avoid descriptors like, "photo of," or "image of" unless the format of the visual element is relevant.
5. Non-informative visual elements are hidden using the Artifact tag.
6. Multilayered visual elements or multiple images that convey a single concept are grouped or flattened into a single visual element.
7. Watermarks are not used unless similar text is provided in the body of the document and there are no color contrast issues created by the inclusion of the watermark.

Tables

1. Tables are used for tabular data, not for layout or formatting.
2. Tables use appropriate table element tags for all table elements; no images of tables are used.
3. The title or broad nature of the table is provided using a caption, heading, or alternative text.
4. Tables do not use visual-only formatting or alignment (e.g., all caps, bold, italics, and indenting) to convey data association or hierarchy.

Tables are either simple (have regularity) or complex. Although it is possible to make complex tables accessible in PDF documents, simple tables are preferred and strongly recommended.

Simple Tables (with Regularity)

A simple table has a grid structure with each row having the same number of columns and each column having the same number of rows.

5. Ensure that tables have regularity per the following guidelines:
   
   
   1. Contains one column header row as the first row or one row header column as the first column, and has no intermediary sub-headers (rows or columns used to delineate sub-sections of a table, including sub-totals).
   2. Header cells are identified by the <TH> tag with Scope appropriately defined and, Row Span and Column Span set to 1.
   3. Data cells are identified by the <TD> tag and are associated with the appropriate header cell through Scope.
   4. Rows must not break across pages. For any table that spans multiple pages, ensure that table column headers repeat at the top of the next page.
   5. Tables contain no blank cells, columns, or rows.
      1. Exception: The last row in a table may have blank cells if the row is being used as a totals row where one or more of the cells is used to total column data. The first cell of the last row must have "Total" or a similar word or phrase.
      2. Exception: Cells using form elements. See the Form and Template Standards for more information.
   6. Tables contain no merged or split cells.
   7. Tables do not contain nested tables.

Complex Tables

Complex tables are more difficult to make accessible and are discouraged. Choosing to use complex tables requires significant expertise in PDF tagging.

6. Complex tables must be tagged correctly and adhere to the following:
   
   
   1. Header cells are identified by the <TH> tag with Scope appropriately defined, and ID attribute assigned.
   2. Data cells are identified by the <TD> tag and are associated with the appropriate header ID attribute.
   3. Row Span and Column Span attributes are used appropriately for merged cells.

Additional Requirements & Resources

• CDE's Accessibility Standards
  Requirements for all CDE content, including PDF documents.
• CDE Form and Template Standards
  Requirements for forms that are developed, procured, maintained, or used under the purview of the CDE, including guidance and examples for form use in PDF documents.
• CDE Standards References
  The CDE's PDF Standards are built on the guidance of a number of highly regarded authorities in information and communications technology (ICT) accessibility. See specific references used in developing our PDF Standards.