---
title: "Converting a document from DOCX to PDF/UA format | Nutrient Java SDK"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/java/conversion/word-document-to-pdf-ua/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/java/conversion/word-document-to-pdf-ua.md"
last_updated: "2026-06-09T10:32:42.836Z"
description: "Converting a document from DOCX to PDF/UA format using Nutrient Java SDK."
---

# Converting a document from DOCX to PDF/UA format

Convert Word documents to PDF/UA when you need fixed output and accessibility compliance. PDF/UA (ISO 14289) defines requirements for accessible PDF files, including support for assistive technologies such as screen readers.

This workflow helps you:

- Preserve document layout and styling

- Avoid formatting differences across viewers

- Generate accessible output for compliance use cases

- Keep document conversion inside your app

[Download sample](https://www.nutrient.io/downloads/samples/java/word-document-to-pdf-ua.zip)

## Use the Java SDK for conversion

Use the Java SDK to convert DOCX files to PDF/UA directly in your document workflow.

## Preparing the project

Define a package and create a class for this conversion flow:

```java

package io.nutrient.Sample;

```

Import Nutrient Java SDK classes. Prefer explicit imports for the classes you use:

```java

import io.nutrient.sdk.Document;
import io.nutrient.sdk.editors.WordEditor;
import io.nutrient.sdk.enums.PdfConformance;
import io.nutrient.sdk.exceptions.NutrientException;
import io.nutrient.sdk.settings.PdfSettings;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Path;

public class WordDocumentToPDFUA {

```

Create a `main` method and declare `NutrientException`:

```java

    public static void main(String[] args) throws NutrientException {

```

Then add the SDK-specific conversion logic.

## Proceeding with the conversion

This guide uses the `Document` class. Initialize it with a [try-with-resources statement](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/essential/exceptions/tryResourceClose.html) to close resources correctly.

Open source files by file path or stream. This example uses a file path:

```java

        try (Document document = Document.open("input.docx")) {
            // Configure PDF settings for PDF/UA conformance.
            PdfSettings pdfSettings = document.getSettings().getPdfSettings();
            pdfSettings.setConformance(PdfConformance.PDF_UA_1);

```

After loading the file, set PDF conformance to `PDF_UA_1`, and then call SDK methods on the document instance. For the full API surface, refer to the [API reference](https://www.nutrient.io/api/java-sdk/).

Export the document as PDF/UA. Write to a file path or stream. This example writes `output.pdf` to the working directory:

```java

            document.exportAsPdf("output.pdf");
        }
    }
}

```

You now have a PDF/UA-compliant file.

## Error handling

The SDK throws `NutrientException` when conversion fails. Handle this exception in your app for custom logging, retries, or fallback logic.

## Conclusion

You now have a complete DOCX-to-PDF/UA conversion flow in Java. Download the [sample package](https://www.nutrient.io/downloads/samples/java/word-document-to-pdf-ua.zip) to run this example as-is.
---

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- [Converting a document from PPTX to PDF format](/guides/java/conversion/powerpoint-document-to-pdf.md)
- [Converting a document from DOCX to PDF format](/guides/java/conversion/word-document-to-pdf.md)