How to Create a PAC 2026 Accessible PDF in Adobe InDesign

Build the Accessibility Structure in InDesign

Start by establishing the semantic structure of the document in InDesign.

Paragraph styles and export tags

Use paragraph styles consistently for structured text.

Common styles may include:

Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3
Body
List
Caption

Open:

Window > Styles > Paragraph Styles

Edit the appropriate style and select:

Paragraph Style Options > Export Tagging

Map actual headings to the appropriate PDF structure tags.

Heading 1   → H1
Heading 2   → H2
Heading 3   → H3
Body        → P

Heading levels should reflect the structure of the document, not just how the text looks.

Heading hierarchy

A typical hierarchy may be:

H1
  H2
    H3
  H2

Avoid skipping heading levels unless there is a legitimate structural reason. Do not automatically treat the document title as H1. The document title and heading hierarchy are related but separate accessibility concepts.

Tagging order

Open:

Window > Articles

Add the page items that should be included in the tagged PDF and arrange them in the intended order.

Enable:

Use for Tagging Order in Tagged PDF

This helps InDesign establish the order used when the PDF is exported. The Articles panel defines an intended export order, but the final tag sequence still needs to be verified in Acrobat after export.

Lists and tables

Use actual InDesign list and table features rather than simulating them manually. This gives the exported PDF a better chance of retaining meaningful structure.

Complex tables may still require additional review or remediation in Acrobat.

Add Accessibility Properties

Once the document structure is established, add the accessibility information that needs to transfer with the PDF.

Alternative text

For objects that require alternative text:

Object > Object Export Options

Use the Alt Text section to define the accessible description. Keep this setup focused on associating the required alternative text with the object so it can be reviewed after export.

The exported PDF should be checked for the expected Figure tag and alternative-text entry where required.

Object tagging and artifacts

Review:

Object > Object Export Options > Tagged PDF

Use the appropriate PDF tag settings for objects that need to appear in the document structure.

Elements that should not be exposed as meaningful content to assistive technology should be handled appropriately so they do not clutter the tag tree. Verify the result after export rather than assuming an InDesign setting produced the intended PDF structure.

Hyperlinks

Open:

Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks

Make sure required links are actual hyperlinks before export. After export, test them in Acrobat and confirm that they are correctly represented in the tag structure.

Metadata

Open:

File > File Info

Add a meaningful document title and any other required metadata. Do not rely only on the filename.

The PDF metadata title and the visible heading structure are separate accessibility elements.

Document language

Make sure the final PDF has an appropriate default language.

For a U.S. English document, this may be:

en-US

Verify the exported language in Acrobat and correct it there if necessary. PAC 2026 also evaluates the correctness of the document language as part of its quality checks.

Bookmarks

Add bookmarks when appropriate, particularly for longer documents where additional navigation is useful.

Do not treat bookmarks as required for every accessible PDF. Review whether they are appropriate for the document before delivery.

Export the Tagged PDF

When the InDesign file is ready:

File > Export

Choose the appropriate PDF format for the project. For many print-based documents:

Adobe PDF (Print)

In the export settings, enable:

Create Tagged PDF

Also include hyperlinks and bookmarks when they are part of the document.

The important point is that accessibility structure must be included during export. Do not imply that selecting a particular PDF preset automatically creates an accessible or PDF/UA-conforming file.

A tagged PDF is the beginning of the validation process, not proof that the document is accessible.

Review the Exported PDF in Acrobat Pro

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro before running PAC. The purpose of this review is to confirm that the structure created in InDesign transferred correctly.

Review the tag tree

Open the Tags panel. Common tags may include:

H1-H6
P
Figure
Link
L
LI
Table
TR
TH
TD

The exact tag structure depends on the document. Verify that headings use the correct levels, paragraphs are tagged correctly, figures have the intended structure, links are properly represented, lists are structured as lists, tables use appropriate table structure, and content is not missing or duplicated.

Review reading order

Confirm that the tag sequence follows the intended logical order. Do not rely only on how the document looks visually.

Check that the structure is:

complete
correctly ordered
correctly nested
not duplicated
not missing content

The logical structure tree is a primary source assistive technologies use to determine reading order. Do not present Acrobat's visual Reading Order tool as the only or definitive way to determine accessibility.

Verify document properties

Confirm:

• Document title
• Document language
• Bookmarks where appropriate

Run Acrobat's accessibility checker

Use Acrobat's accessibility checker as an initial technical review.

Look for issues related to:

• Tags
• Title
• Language
• Alternative text
• Tables
• Lists
• Links
• Reading order

If the problem originates in InDesign, correct the source file and export again whenever practical. An automated check cannot determine every accessibility requirement.

Validate the PDF in PAC 2026

After the Acrobat review, open the PDF in PDF Accessibility Checker 2026.

PAC evaluates the document against:

ISO 14289, PDF/UA
WCAG 2.2 Level AA
Additional quality checks

PAC explains that its technical WCAG tests are based on WCAG 2.1 because the additional WCAG 2.2 requirements are not relevant to PDF document content. In terms of PDF content, PAC therefore also covers WCAG 2.2. Do not describe PAC as performing a separate complete WCAG 2.2 technical test suite.

Review the validation results

Check:

• PDF/UA
• WCAG
• Quality Checks

PAC's quality checks are not themselves an official accessibility standard. They identify areas that may need human review, and some warnings require judgment to determine whether there is an actual accessibility problem.

Screen Reader Preview

Use PAC's Screen Reader Preview to review the structured content sequence.

Confirm that:

• Headings appear in the expected hierarchy.
• Paragraphs appear in the intended order.
• Figures appear where expected.
• Links are represented.
• Content is not missing.
• Content is not duplicated.

This is a useful structural review, but it should not be presented as a replacement for actual assistive technology testing when that level of evaluation is required.

Logical Structure

Use PAC's Logical Structure view to inspect the PDF tag hierarchy.

Review elements such as:

H1-H6
P
Figure
Link
L
LI
Table
TR
TH
TD

If custom structure types are present, verify that they are appropriately role-mapped.

Correct the Source and Revalidate

When Acrobat or PAC identifies a problem, determine whether it originates in the InDesign file.

Correct source-related issues in InDesign whenever possible.

Examples:

Incorrect heading level  → update Paragraph Style Export Tagging
Incorrect tagging order → update the source structure or Articles panel
Missing alt text        → update Object Export Options
Missing hyperlink       → update the Hyperlinks panel
Incorrect metadata      → update File Info

Export a new PDF and repeat the Acrobat and PAC checks. This is more reliable than repeatedly making the same repairs directly in Acrobat each time the source document changes.

Final Technical Checklist

Build the Structure in InDesign, Then Validate the PDF

The most reliable workflow is to build the accessibility structure in the InDesign source file, preserve that structure during export, review the resulting PDF in Acrobat Pro, and validate the final document with PAC 2026.

A tagged PDF is not automatically an accessible PDF.

When a problem originates in InDesign, fix the source file and export again. That keeps the source document maintainable and reduces repeated remediation when the PDF is updated.