Merge PDF Files

The big presentation is tomorrow, and you've got PDFs of the proposal, the architect's drawings, the engineer's report, and input from about 5 other departments. But they are all separate files. No need to run to Kinko's and print everything out, then collate and bind. Instead, here are a few ways to accomplish this quickly and easily on the computer.

Steps

Using 3rd-Party Programs Online

  1. Search online for "Merge PDFs" using your favorite search engine. There are endless programs that will help you merge your files easily and for free, but you shouldn't have to leave the first page to find one that works for you. Reputable, commonly used sites include:
    • PDF Joiner
    • SmallPDF
    • FoxyUtils
  2. Open your chosen website and click "Merge PDFs" on the main site. As usual, do not trust any site that asks for personal information other than, at most, an email address. If the site feels unsafe, with multiple pop-ups, weird ads, or requests for personal information, leave and find another one. There are enough legitimate options online that you shouldn't use a site you don't trust.
  3. Select your files when prompted. You can choose the order later. Use the "Browse," "Select Files," "Upload," etc. button to find all the PDFs that you want to merge into one document. With many sites, you can just click and drag the PDF into the window as well.
  4. Organize your list. Your files should now be arranged in a list, with options to "Move Up" or "Move Down" individual files. Put them in the order you want.
  5. Set the final quality if asked. Choose the resolution you'll need for your new PDF file. Print-ready is the highest quality, Office-ready is in the middle, and Web-ready will create the smallest file size.
    • Not all PDF joining websites allow you to pick the quality of your final PDF.
  6. Create your PDF. All sites are different, but they should be easy to figure out. Once you have your pages in the right order, click "Create," "Merge," "Join," "Save PDF," or whatever other similar button rests next to your files. You'll be asked where to save your newly merged PDF.
    • If you can't find the new file, be sure to check your Downloads folder.

Using Adobe Acrobat

  1. Install the full version of Adobe Acrobat. Most computers have Adobe Reader or Acrobat Reader, but Acrobat was created specifically for editing and managing PDFs. As of 2015, the only Adobe product that can merge PDFs is the paid program Adobe Acrobat DC.[1] However, many computers come with the program pre-installed. If not, you'll need to buy it or move on to other methods. You can use the Standard or Pro version.
    • If you are not sure if you already have Acrobat DC, right-click (PC) or Ctrl-click (Mac) on the one of your PDF's and hover over "Open With." All PDF compatible programs will appear.
    • While Adobe now charges for Acrobat, you can download a 30-day trial that will let you merge PDFs immediately if you are in a pinch.[2]
  2. Click the "Create PDF" button on the main toolbar. If you don't have "Create PDF" on your toolbar, go to "View" → "Tools" → "Create PDF." This is for newer versions of the program.
    • If you do not have these options, try navigating to "View" → "Task Buttons" → "Show All Task Buttons."
  3. Select Merge Files into a Single PDF. From the "Create" menu, choose the "Merge Files..." option. It may also be labeled as "Combine Files" This will allow you to pull multiple files from your computer and merge them into one PDF.
    • If you've got the unpaid version of Acrobat, you must click on "Tools" under "Create PDF." You'll see "Combine Files" in the following menu, and clicking on it will bring you to a page offering for you to buy the appropriate software.[3]
  4. Use "Browse" to find and select the PDFs you want to merge. Locate the files on your computer. Once you click OK on a file, it will flow into the white box on the right. This is your organizing section for the entire merged document.
  5. Order your files. Once you've pulled all the files you want to merge, use the "Remove," "Move Up," and "Move Down" buttons on the left to organize them in the correct order.
    • Uncheck "Include all open PDF files" if you don't want Adobe to include a PDF file you might have open in the background.
  6. Click OK. Your PDFs will be organized in one file. Be sure to click "Save As..." under File and name your new PDF file.

Preview (Macintosh Only)

  1. Select your documents on the desktop or in Finder. In the Finder, drag-select all the documents you want grouped together. You can also shift-click to select all the documents in a range, or Cmmd-click to select multiple documents individually.[4]
    • It does not matter what order you select the files in — you can reorganize them later.
  2. Drag the files onto the Preview application icon. Preview is the icon that looks like a set of photographs. In can be found in Applications if you are missing it, as it launches standard with all Macs. Dragging the files onto the icon will launch Preview and open the files all in a single document.
    • Launch Preview normally, finding the program in Finder. From the Open menu, locate the file and open it with Preview.
    • After highlighting all of your PDFs, Cmmd-Click on one of the files and select "Open With..." → "Preview."
  3. Load up all of the PDFs that you want to merge together. Click the sidebar icon at the top of the window. You should see a column open up on the left side of the window with your PDF selected. From there you can:
    • Add a file. Drag the file you want to add over to the side bar, and then place it above or below the first document you added—depending on where you want it to appear.
    • Delete a file. Simply highlight it and hit the "Delete" key.
    • Reorder the files. Simply drag and drop to put the pages in the order you want.
  4. Organize your pages. Once you've placed your pages into the document, you can click and drag them inside the sidebar to order them as desired. This is the order the pages will be in for your final merged document, with the first page on top.
  5. Click on "File," then "Save As" to finish your merged PDF. On current versions of the Mac OS X (10.7), your file is auto-saved to the first document you opened. In order to save a newly titled, unique version, click on Save As to create the final PDF.[4]
  6. Alternatively, use "Insert" to input a PDF into a document you're already reading. Open one of your documents in Preview. Select the "Edit" Tab at the top of the screen, and select "Insert." Select "Page from Scanner" or "Page from File". Choose page from file to pull up you PDF and insert it into the document you already have open.[4]

Downloading 3rd-Party Software

  1. Use a free PDF merging program if you need to combine lots of PDFs, or need to work offline. These programs are simple to use, acting almost exactly like their online counterparts. The good news is that they are generally free. However, like all programs downloaded from the internet, they carry some risk when downloading. Only use sites you trust. They should be free from excessive pop-ups and never ask for personal information, including your email.
  2. Search for and Download a PDF merging program. There are several good options available. Some tested, reputable programs include:
    • Nitro PDF (software download)
    • PDFSam
    • PDF Shuffler (Linux users)
    • PDFill PDF Tools[5]
  3. Open your chosen program and select "Merge PDF." It may be labeled as "Join" or "Merge Files," but either way it will be easy to find. Click on "Merge PDF" and find your files that need to be combined using the pop-up browser.
  4. Browse to the folder with the PDF documents. Open one of them to bring PDF files in the list.
  5. Deselect the PDF documents that are to be excluded from the final merged copy. There is no limitation on the size and number of files.
  6. Give the file a name and select the folder to save it. You might click on a "merge" button," or a "save." Again, it is straightforward. Choose a location and name for your merged PDF and you can call it a day.



Tips

  • You can't merge files on the free version of Adobe PDF.
  • Photoshop has the ability to open and combine PDF files. They are basically treated like images. They are easy to work with if you are familiar with Photoshop.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://acrobatusers.com/tutorials/how-to-combine-pdf-files-using-adobe-reader
  2. ↑ https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/how-to/merge-combine-pdf-files-online.html
  3. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/how-to/combine-files-single-pdf.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202945
  5. ↑ http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-pdf-tools.htm
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