PDF Output

PDF output

Epistola renders templates as PDF documents. Use the editor preview to check the rendered result, then choose the output settings that your project requires.

Check the rendered PDF

Preview with realistic examples and check the parts of the document that are most likely to change:

• Long names, addresses, paragraphs, and table rows.
• Conditional and repeated content.
• Page breaks, headers, and footers.
• Fonts, images, spacing, and alignment.
• Links, headings, and table structure.

The preview uses the template’s rendering settings, so it is the right place to catch pagination and layout problems before publishing. Preview files carry a visible PREVIEW watermark and are not final documents.

Use a theme

Choose the theme that should provide the document’s typography, colors, spacing, and block styles. Confirm that the selected theme contains the fonts and style presets the template expects. A theme change can affect line wrapping and page breaks, so preview again after changing it.

Enable PDF/A-2b for archiving

PDF/A-2b is an archival profile for documents that must remain readable and self-contained over time. It embeds fonts, includes an sRGB color profile, and stores required XMP metadata. It is enabled by default for new templates.

To change the setting:

1. Open the template’s Settings tab.
2. Find Output Settings.
3. Enable or disable PDF/A-2b compliance.

PDF/A output can be larger and slightly slower because fonts and color information are embedded. The same setting is used for previews, batch generation, and API generation, so pagination stays representative.

PDF/A-2b is an archival standard, not an accessibility standard. It does not replace accessibility checks.

Check accessibility

Make the document understandable as well as visually correct:

• Use headings to communicate document structure.
• Keep table rows and columns meaningful.
• Add alternate descriptions to non-decorative images.
• Avoid relying on color alone to communicate information.
• Resolve relevant quality findings before publishing.

Rendering checklist

Before publishing, confirm that:

• The intended theme and fonts are selected.
• All managed images are available and sharp enough.
• Dynamic values, conditions, and repeated blocks render correctly.
• Long content does not create unexpected empty pages or awkward breaks.
• Headers and footers appear on the intended pages.
• PDF/A-2b is enabled when long-term archival is required.
• You are checking a final generated PDF, not only a watermarked preview.

Epistola currently generates PDF output. Delivery, storage, and attachment to a case are handled by the connected system or workflow that requested the document.