Impressed notes that the law requires equal access to content from June 28, 2025. A PDF must be fully tagged, meaning every object on the page must be identified as a heading, paragraph, caption, graphic, etc., so that a screen reader can accurately display the text. This presents media service providers with a complex but solvable challenge. Using automated media production, existing PDFs can be converted directly to the PDF/UA standard. 

In an upcoming webinar, Impressed and Actino show how processing with the MakeAccessible server application based on the PDFix SDK recognizes the design and content of a document and generates the correct tags automatically, so that users do not have to intervene manually. The big advantage of PDFix technology lies in the consistent use of templates. There is a corresponding entry for paragraph formats or styles in Word or InDesign, so that content is recognized and marked with precision based on typographic features or position. This is where the features of the workflow automation solution Enfocus Switch come into play so that different documents from different sources can be processed precisely. With the help of AI, descriptive alternative text for graphics or tables can be added automatically as needed. 

For example, a textbook publisher faced the problem of having well over 100,000 images in approximately 1,000 books, which are now automatically described using custom prompts in a switch workflow. Current AI models deliver excellent quality and recognize every detail. The only requirement is an API key for the AI, such as OpenAI. "The creation of accessible PDFs must be automated, as manually adding tags takes far too much time," explains Michael Karbe, Managing Director of Actino Software and exclusive PDFix partner. "Our projects always focus on integration and cost-effective workflow design. PDFix and Switch, combined, offer the perfect platform." 

Karsten Schwarze, Product Manager at Impressed GmbH, says, "The extensive configuration options of Enfocus Switch have proven their worth in prepress and also support the flexible creation of accessible PDFs." The applications are available for MacOS and Windows. Trial versions are available upon request from Actino Software.and Impressed available. For more information on the webinar go here.