Checkpoint 07: Dictionary

The PDF viewer preferences must be configured to display the document title in the title bar rather than the filename. This setting ensures users see meaningful identification when viewing the document.

What This Means

PDF documents contain a ViewerPreferences dictionary that controls how PDF readers display the document. One key setting is the DisplayDocTitle flag, which determines what appears in the application's title bar:

DisplayDocTitle = true: Shows the document's metadata title (e.g., "2024 Annual Accessibility Report")
DisplayDocTitle = false or missing: Shows the filename (e.g., "report-final-v3.pdf")

This checkpoint works in conjunction with Checkpoint 06 (Metadata). While Checkpoint 06 ensures the document has a meaningful title in its metadata, Checkpoint 07 ensures that title is actually displayed to users.

The ViewerPreferences dictionary is part of the PDF Catalog, which is the root object defining the document's structure. When properly configured, PDF readers honor this setting and display the title instead of potentially cryptic filenames.

Why It Matters

The title bar setting affects how users identify and distinguish documents:

Screen reader announcements: Many screen readers announce the window title when users switch applications. Hearing "2024 Tax Guidelines" is far more useful than "doc_2024_v3_final.pdf"
Task bar identification: When multiple PDFs are open, users rely on title bar text to switch between documents
Tab labels: In browsers and tabbed PDF viewers, the displayed title helps users navigate between documents
Professional appearance: Documents showing meaningful titles appear more polished and user-friendly
Accessibility compliance: This is a specific PDF/UA requirement that validators check

Consider a user with multiple PDFs open for research:

Without DisplayDocTitle	With DisplayDocTitle
research_paper_001.pdf	Introduction to Machine Learning
doc_final_revised.pdf	Climate Change Impact Assessment
report-2024-03-15.pdf	Quarterly Financial Report Q1 2024

The version with titles enabled allows users to quickly identify and navigate between documents, especially when using assistive technology.

Common Violations

The Matterhorn Protocol defines two failure conditions for this checkpoint. Both are machine testable.

07-001: ViewerPreferences Dictionary Missing DisplayDocTitle Key (Machine Testable)

What's Wrong: The PDF's Catalog dictionary contains a ViewerPreferences dictionary, but the DisplayDocTitle key is not present. Without this key, PDF readers default to showing the filename.

How to Identify:

PDF/UA validators automatically detect this
In Acrobat, go to File > Properties > Initial View
Check the "Show" dropdown in the Window Options section
If it shows "File Name," the setting needs to be changed

Technical Details: The PDF structure should include:

<< /Type /Catalog
   /ViewerPreferences <<
     /DisplayDocTitle true
   >>
   ...
>>

When the ViewerPreferences dictionary exists but lacks DisplayDocTitle, the key simply needs to be added.

07-002: DisplayDocTitle Key Has Value of False (Machine Testable)

What's Wrong: The DisplayDocTitle key exists in the ViewerPreferences dictionary but is explicitly set to false. This intentionally configures the document to show the filename instead of the title.

How to Identify:

PDF/UA validators will flag this immediately
In Acrobat, File > Properties > Initial View will show "File Name" selected
The document is configured, but configured incorrectly

Why This Happens:

PDF creation software defaulting to false
Explicit settings during PDF export
Copying preferences from non-accessible templates
PDF post-processing that resets preferences

How to Fix in Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat provides straightforward controls for the DisplayDocTitle setting.

Setting Display Title via Initial View

Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro
Go to File > Properties (or press Ctrl/Cmd + D)
Click the Initial View tab
In the "Window Options" section, find the "Show" dropdown
Change it from "File Name" to "Document Title"
Click OK to save

Verifying the Setting

Go to File > Properties > Initial View
Confirm "Show" is set to "Document Title"
Close and reopen the document
Check the window title bar displays the document title, not filename

Important Prerequisite

Before setting DisplayDocTitle to true, ensure the document has a meaningful title:

Go to File > Properties > Description
Verify the "Title" field contains a descriptive title
If blank or containing a filename, enter a proper title first
Then set the Initial View to show Document Title

If you set DisplayDocTitle to true but have no title in metadata, the title bar may show blank or "Untitled."

Using Preflight for Batch Processing

Go to Tools > Print Production > Preflight
Search for "DisplayDocTitle" in profiles
Look for fixups that set viewer preferences
Create an Action to apply to multiple documents

Creating an Action for Multiple Files

Go to Tools > Action Wizard
Click New Action
Add a step to set Document Properties
Configure Initial View to show Document Title
Save the action
Run on multiple files using Files to Process

How to Fix in Microsoft Word

Word's PDF export options do not directly control the DisplayDocTitle setting. However, you can influence it through proper export configuration.

Setting Up Document Properties

Before exporting, ensure your document has a title:

Click File in the ribbon
On the Info page, look at the Properties panel
Click on "Title" and enter a meaningful title
Alternatively, click Properties > Advanced Properties > Summary tab
Enter the title and click OK

PDF Export Options

Go to File > Save As or Export > Create PDF/XPS
Click Options before saving
Ensure "Document properties" is checked
This transfers the title to the PDF

Post-Export Fix

Unfortunately, Word does not set the DisplayDocTitle preference:

Export your PDF from Word
Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat
Go to File > Properties > Initial View
Set "Show" to "Document Title"
Save the PDF

Using PDF/A Export

If your organization requires PDF/A format:

Go to File > Save As
Choose PDF from the format dropdown
Click Options
Select "ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)"
Note: PDF/A does not guarantee DisplayDocTitle, but may work better with some tools

How to Fix in Other Applications

Adobe InDesign

When exporting to PDF, go to File > Export
Choose Adobe PDF format
In the Export dialog, look for "Compatibility" options
For PDF/UA compliance, use appropriate presets
After export, verify or set DisplayDocTitle in Acrobat

LibreOffice

Go to File > Export as PDF
In the General tab, ensure "Export bookmarks" is checked
Check the PDF/A option if available
After export, open in Acrobat to set Initial View
LibreOffice typically requires post-processing for this setting

Online PDF Converters

Most online converters do not set DisplayDocTitle:

Generate your PDF using the converter
Download the result
Open in Adobe Acrobat or another PDF editor
Set the Initial View to show Document Title
Save the corrected file

Command-Line Tools

Using QPDF: QPDF can modify low-level PDF structures but requires manual JSON configuration for ViewerPreferences.

Using pdftk:

# Extract PDF info
pdftk input.pdf dump_data > info.txt

# Note: pdftk cannot directly set ViewerPreferences
# Use Acrobat or another tool for this setting

Using Ghostscript:

gs -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=pdfwrite \
   -sOutputFile=output.pdf \
   -c "[/DisplayDocTitle true /DOCVIEW pdfmark" \
   -f input.pdf

Testing Your Fix

Automated Testing

Adobe Acrobat:

Go to Tools > Accessibility > Accessibility Check
Run the full accessibility check
Look for "Title" related issues in Document category
Check specifically for Initial View settings

PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker):

Open the PDF in PAC
Run the PDF/UA check
Navigate to Checkpoint 07 results
Both failure conditions will be flagged if present

veraPDF:

Select PDF/UA-1 validation profile
Run validation
Look for rule results related to ViewerPreferences
Check for DisplayDocTitle failures

Manual Verification

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader
Look at the application title bar (not the window title in the PDF)
Verify it shows the document title, not filename
Close and reopen to confirm the setting persists

Browser Testing

Open the PDF in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
Look at the browser tab text
Verify the tab shows the document title
If showing filename, the setting is not configured correctly

Cross-Platform Testing

Test on multiple platforms to ensure consistent behavior:

Windows: Open in Adobe Reader, check title bar
macOS: Open in Preview and Adobe Reader
Linux: Open in common PDF readers (Evince, Okular)
Mobile: Check document title display on iOS/Android

Validation Checklist

ViewerPreferences dictionary exists in PDF Catalog
DisplayDocTitle key is present
DisplayDocTitle value is true (not false)
Document has meaningful title in metadata (prerequisite)
Title bar displays the title, not filename
Browser tabs show the title
Screen reader announces proper title on document focus

Relationship with Other Checkpoints

Checkpoint 07 is closely related to Checkpoint 06 (Metadata):

Checkpoint 06: Ensures dc:title exists and is meaningful
Checkpoint 07: Ensures the title is displayed to users

Both must pass for proper title accessibility:

Checkpoint 06	Checkpoint 07	Result
Pass	Pass	Users see meaningful title
Pass	Fail	Title exists but filename shown
Fail	Pass	DisplayDocTitle true but no/bad title
Fail	Fail	No title, filename shown

Always check and fix Checkpoint 06 before or alongside Checkpoint 07.

Additional Resources

Official Standards and Guidelines

PDF/UA Technical Resources

Tools

PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker) - Free PDF/UA validation
veraPDF - Open-source PDF/UA validator
Adobe Acrobat Pro - PDF editing and accessibility tools

This documentation is based on the Matterhorn Protocol 1.02, the definitive reference for PDF/UA validation. Both failure conditions for this checkpoint are machine testable. For the most current information, consult the PDF Association and W3C WCAG guidelines.