Joining multiple PDFs in preview

Is there a way to join multiple PDF files into one PDF file using Preview?

Oddly, I didn't find documentation that specifically addresses how to do this but, it's a pretty straightforward process.
When I scan multi-page documents, Image Capture.app saves each page as a separate PDF document. After scanning, let's say, a 3-page document, I open the first page's PDF file in Preview.app. Then I make its sidebar visible. With the sidebar visible, I simply drag page 2 and page 3 into the sidebar.
You don't have to open the other two files. Just drag their icons into the sidebar of page 1, save the document, and you're done.

Similar Messages

  • Hello Apple community... I am trying to combine multiple pdf's into one, using preview, but when I drag the additional pages they show up as separate documents.

    I am trying to combine multiple pdf's into one, using preview, but when I drag the additional pages they show up as separate documents.  When I drag the doc in a line would show up in the past, and if I went above th eline all was good.  It doesn't have a line, and no matter what I try I am having no success.
    Please help!

    According to an Apple Support article, unless there are unforeseen issues
    in file ownership or permissions, the combining of .PDFs should be simple.
    •OS X: Combining PDF documents using Preview - Apple Support
    There are a few variable and similar methods, some change with version
    of OS X in use; some vintage OS X may vary a little in the process...
    A variety of similar topics appear in search results, with terms:
    " mac os x combine pdf into one " such as this page shows...
    https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=mac%20os%20x%20combine%20pdf%20into%20one
    If the system is older than Mavericks there may be other methods to try.
    Suggestions are among linked results in the search. I see a few fair ones.
    •Here's another that offers generally similar suggestions...*  this info looks OK, extra links, do not:
    http://osxdaily.com/2014/06/27/how-to-join-multiple-pdf-files-into-a-single-pdf- document-in-mac-os-x/
    { note: avoid clicking on links to products in * this ^ page, since they likely will not help & may be adware prone }
    If you have a problem after trying other methods, based on an OS X
    your computer is running, post back with more exact information...
    Good luck & happy computing!
    edited

  • Combine PDFs using Preview in Mountain Lion (other threads read)

    I have reviewed several threads about combining PDFs in Mountain Lion.  I will ultimately learn Automator but for now, I have a relatively simple question:
    1) I open multiple PDFs in Preview, one window per PDF
    2) I drag thumbnail pages from documents 2 through n onto document 1 so that it makes one long document.  ie. one unbroken string of pages and not sections within a PDF
    Question:  How do I save this combined document without deleting or affecting the first document?
    Duplicate causes one of the uncombined documents to pop up with the filename highlighted.  I don't see how to give the combined document a new filename for saning
    Rename gives me a file of the three combined documents but the first document disappears
    Save overwrites the first document with the combined document
    I must be missing something simple.  I recognize that the lack of "Save As" is a sensitive issue but ultimately, that's what I want to do:  Save the combined document with its own filename and have the individual documents intact.

    ncasey88 and Old Toad:
    Thank you for your quick responses.  Unfortunately, with both methods, the first PDF gets updated.
    e.g. Files are 1.pdf, 2.pdf, 3.pdf, each is one page long, and I open each in its own Preview window.  I drop thumbnails of 2.pdf and 3.pdf onto the thumbnail area of 1.pdf.  I export or print into a file called 123.pdf 
    Result:  1.pdf and 123.pdf have the same information (all three files).  2.pdf and 3.pdf are unchanged but 1.pdf is three pages long.

  • Merge multiple pdf files into single pdf

    How to merge multiple pdf files into single pdf file through any programmatic languages? Kindly share with me.
    Thanks

    Easy PDF
    http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/38090/easy-pdf
    How To: Combine multiple PDFs in Preview
    http://macenstein.com/default/2011/12/how-to-combine-multiple-pdfs-in-preview/
    How to merge pdf files in OSX
    http://macintoshhowto.com/leopard/how-to-merge-pdf-files-with-preview-in-leopard .html
    How to Combine Multiple PDFs Using Preview
    http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how_to_combine_multiple_pdfs_using_previe w/

  • Preview; How can I open multiple PDF's in one window with Preview?

    How can I open multiple PDF's in one window with Preview?
    I have gone to Previews preferences and selected 'Open groups of images in the same window' and have tried every setting imaginable and nothing works. What am I doing wrong?

    Hi, a few ways..
    http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.info/Freeware/CombinePDFs.shtml
    http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.info/Freeware/CombinePDFs.shtml
    http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20060327192826493&lsrc=osxh

  • OSX lion is very slow after joining pdfs in preview.

    I regualrly have to join several PDF files into one document. They way I am doing this at the moment is through preview i.e. simply dragging and dopping the files over one another in the thumbnail side bar. However, at some point the computer invariably freezes showing me the spinning wheel of death for perhaps 15mins. Some times I cannot revover and have to force a hard reboot. Other times, I can get it to soft reboot after waiting for ages. The funny thing is the resulting file is fine since I can access after it after performing the reboot.
    Any ideas why this is and how I can avoid it since it wasts alot of time.
    Specs of my MacBook are:
    Processor 2.8 Ghz Intel Core i7
    Memory 4GB 1333 Mhz DDR3
    I have 600 GB of hard disc space free
    I am running OSX 10.7.3
    The total size of the documents I want to join amounted to less than 4 Mb so I don't think I should be running out of memory.
    Any help appreciated
    Cheers
    Jim

    Thank for the reply. There were actually a huge number of messages in the console when I was trying to perform this action. I've filtered them here by the keyword preview:
    16/05/2012 21:05:34.854 Preview: snapshot of document took: 0.00633901 secs, calling unblockUserInteraction
    16/05/2012 21:05:36.871 Preview: writing of document took: 2.01655 secs, success = YES
    16/05/2012 21:06:14.834 Preview: snapshot of document took: 0.000631988 secs, calling unblockUserInteraction
    16/05/2012 21:06:15.253 Preview: writing of document took: 0.418326 secs, success = YES
    16/05/2012 21:06:54.000 kernel: [829|501] Preview          async. scan: #'/Users/foo/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState/window_1.data' act=0x00000006 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:07:06.000 kernel: [829|501] Preview          async. scan: #'/Users/foo/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState/window_2.data' act=0x00000006 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:07:18.000 kernel: [829|501] Preview          async. scan: @'/Users/foo/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState/data.data' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:07:18.000 kernel: [776|501] mdworker         async. scan: #'/Users/foo/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState/window_2.data' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:07:30.000 kernel: [829|501] Preview          async. scan: @'/Users/foo/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState/windows.plist' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:08:06.000 kernel: [776|501] mdworker         async. scan: #'/Users/foo/Library/Containers/com.apple.Preview/Data/Library/Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState/data.data' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:08:18.000 kernel: [857|501] SFLSharedPrefsTo async. scan: #'/Users/foo/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSh aredFileList.plist' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:08:30.000 kernel: [857|501] SFLSharedPrefsTo async. scan: #'/Users/foo/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSh aredFileList.plist.lockfile' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:08:42.000 kernel: [857|501] SFLSharedPrefsTo async. scan: @'/Users/foo/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSh aredFileList.plist.f9KnTo8' act=0x00000002 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    16/05/2012 21:08:54.000 kernel: [857|501] SFLSharedPrefsTo async. scan: @'/Users/foo/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSh aredFileList.plist' act=0x00000003 rsn='ETYP1' ln='1457'
    Actually, I noticed that imdediately after these messages, the following message was printed to the console hundreds of times:
    16/05/2012 21:25:14.119 esets_daemon: warning[00de0000]: Cannot accept connection: Too many open files
    This coencided with the slow down so perhaps preview is interfering with my antivirus software some how?
    Again, any help appreciated.
    Cheers
    Jim

  • Can't open multiple PDF docs on same display

    I have a Windows 7 x64 machine, with Acrobat X Standard, running dual displays.
    The problem is that I can't get multiple PDF files to open on my right display.  One PDF file will open on the right display, if no other PDF files are open.  The first one always opens there by default.  The problem is that if one file is open, any subsequent PDF files ALWAYS open on the left display, on top of my design software.  Then I have to drag it back over to the right to see what I'm doing on the left.  Very annoying.
    EVERY other application installed on my machine opens where it's supposed to.  Multiple Firefox windows always open in the same place on the right display.  Multiple Windows Explorer windows always open on the right display.  Multiple Outlook, Word, Excel, etc. docs always open on the right display.
    Acrobat is the ONLY app that will not open multiple docs on the right side.  I had the same issue with Acrobat Reader 9 before I installed X.
    My old machine used to do the same thing with Acrobat 8 Standard, and at some point there was an update that seemed to fix it.  However I can't seem to get it to work with X on my current machine.  Any ideas?

    The problem is with the document, not the program.You can try to open the file in Preview and print from there. Otherwise, you will need to contact the creator of the document for a new version of the file.

  • How i can combine multiple pdf files in one file using a macbook air

    how i can combine multiple pdf files in one file

    The application Preview.
    Preview Help.
    Save combined PDFs
    Open the PDFs you want to combine.
    In each open PDF, choose View > Thumbnails to display the pages of the PDF in the sidebar.
    Drag the thumbnails you want to add (Command-click to select noncontiguous pages) to the thumbnail sidebar in the other PDF.You can add pages to the end of the document or between pages in a document. Drag thumbnails to reorder them. You can also add a PDF file before or after another PDF document.
    Choose File > Export to save a new PDF containing all of the combined pages, or choose File > Save to replace the original version of the destination PDF with the version containing the combined pages.

  • How can I combine multiple pdfs into one document?

    I need to consolidate multiple docs into one.  How do I do that?

    It's pretty easy. Open multiple PDF documents in Apple Preview that came with your Mac. Choose View/Thumbnails so you can see the page thumbnail icons. Select any number (or all) of the page thumbnail icons of one document and drag them to any point in the thumbnails of another document.
    For example you can drag page 6 of one PDF between pages 40 and 41 of another PDF doc. But it sounds like you want to select all pages of one PDF and drag them to the end of another PDF doc.
    If you need more powerful document combining you can use PDFpen or Adobe Acrobat Professional, but they cost money.

  • How do I output a large Ai file as multiple PDFs (via views, pages, whatever)

    I am working in FreeHand 10 and Illustrator CS3 on a large street map. The client wants to do his own edits to the map in Illustrator (version unknown) then output it so he can show a section per page, in an atlas he plans to publish. And maintain the map himself in the future. The base map is 30 inches square, and the section excerpted on each page of his atlas will be 7 x 9 inches.
    The client currently outputs (text-only) directories in MS Word, and I'm wondering if I need to tell him "Hey, you need to buy and learn InDesign (as well as Illustrator) to output your atlas" or whether there's an easy way to output a large map in multiple PDFs, a page at a time that he could use as images in Word. I am trying to keep it sensible for everyone plus affordable.
    What I know about Word is you can make a picture box, and crop images placed in the picture box, but I could only get it to crop an inch or two at most. Not the comparative "limitless" picture box found in Quark (and I assume InDesign).
    (In FreeHand I had a similar atlas project where I created the master map on page 1, then made a couple dozen small pages, each with a rectangle (a frame) on a top layer. I gave each frame a "lens fill" set to a magnification of 1X, and put the centerpoint over the desired part of the master map. The section of the map appeared in the frame. This worked great for the first five or ten pages -- I could make multi-page PDFs -- a sort of PDF atlas. Eventually all the processing of lines, type, and fills bogged down my Mac's (or FreeHand's) memory so the PDF export would abort mid-stream -- I ended up outputting only individual map pages or 10-12 pages per PDF).
    IS THERE A WAY to do a similar, multi-page output, or a series of little PDFs, in CS3? (Or in CS4, which is in the mail)? I know the "professional" way is to place the full EPS or PDF of the map in a page layout program and crop the picture box to the desired area. That's making more and more sense.
    I get the sense from what I don't find in the CS3 User Manual that the only way to output a drawing is a page at a time (and naturally only one page per file). I would feel a little nervous in CS4 making an array of multiple pages butted against each other and laying the map on top of them all (but maybe that would work). CS4 has "views" but I don't know if they correspond to output files.
    There are enough pages in the finished atlas that it's not economical to make the master map into a big PDF, save multiple copies, then crop each PDF on a different section of the map (such as using Apple Preview). Enough hand-work that labor would equal the cost of the software we're tentatively too frugal to buy. (A clue as to how to proceed).
    The client is on a PC (not necessarily a powerful one); has a friend with Illustrator. Is open to upgrading his equipment. I'm on a Mac G4, running Illustrator CS3 and soon CS4.
    At a certain point it may be the least troublesome approach is to lay the learning curve and burden of [computer and] software acquisiiton on the client and let each piece of software do what it does best. Or say, "sorry, editable files aren't practical, but here's a good set of prints for you to mark up, and I'll do the edits and make you a set of PDFs" which is more how I usually work.
    I acknowledge this was a rather long, multi-stranded question; thanks to anyone who waded through it, and I apprciate any wisdom anyone can offer. Thanks!

    ...continued
    If this is a valued and expectedly ongoing relationship, regardless of whether the files working files are going to be in FH or AI, I would make sure that both your and his working files are both on the same application (and I would say even the same platform).
    > The client currently outputs (text-only) directories in MS Word, and I'm wondering if I need to tell him "Hey, you need to buy and learn InDesign (as well as Illustrator) to output your atlas".
    I would politely and briefly commend the client for considering doing his own routine edit maintenance, but caution him that such edits need to be done in the native map files, not in the "container" file of whatever program he imports the artwork into. Doing so will likely involve a not-impractical, but still-significant learning curve for him or his staff--editing the maps requires at least working familiarity with a vector drawing program--and offer your services to help him along the way as he learns. If the client is going to commit to doing his own edits, he needs to commit up-front to doing them
    correctly in the native illustration files' format. Otherwise, he will be asking for trouble down the road that will eventually cost him more than the benefits of bringing the edits in-house.
    >...or whether there's an easy way to output a large map in multiple PDFs, a page at a time that he could use as images in Word.
    PDF exported from FH will not provide the client the editability you have suggested he needs. PDF exported from Illustrator (with AI editability included) will have the same file-size problem you've already encountered: Content of the map beyond the page is merely masked, not actually removed.
    > I am trying to keep it sensible for everyone plus affordable.
    I commend
    you for that stance. Freelance illustrators often shoot themselves in the foot by being overly protective of
    practial illustration / design work that a client rightly
    needs to be able to edit. Helping the client achieve self-sufficency can be just as profitable (or more so) than requiring the client to come back to you for every little edit.
    > What I know about Word...
    Include in your explanation with your client: Common office- or personal-productivity software, by their nature, lack technical capability necessary and proper for commercial reproduction. It's not that they are "bad" or "amateurish" programs; they're just not designed for the purpose.
    Leave open the option of re-importing the map illustrations into Word, if the client still wants to. But re-emphasize that any routine
    editing of the working map files needs to be done in their native illustration program.
    > (In FreeHand I had a similar atlas project where I [used Lens objects]. This worked great for the first five or ten pages...[but eventually]...bogged down....
    Illustrator provides nothing like FreeHand's excellent Lens Fill feature. You can use Clipping Masks and Symobls as a cumbersome workaround, but you'll have the same file-size issues, because you are merely masking artwork, not actually removing it.
    I must admit I can't remember if FH's Lens objects actually trim to their content after being Ungrouped, (and don't presently have FH on this laptop to check), but I don't think so. If they did, then Lens objects would be an alternative to the other cutting method described below.
    > IS THERE A WAY to do a similar, multi-page output, or a series of little PDFs, in CS3? (Or in CS4, which is in the mail)?
    I strongly suspect that artwork that
    spans adjacent pages in AI CS4 will be treated the same as artworking which
    extends beyond the artboard in current AI: it will be merely masked with a clipping path when exported to PDF, not trimmed. The same sloppy and data-heavy content problems will persist.
    > I get the sense from what I don't find in the CS3 User Manual that the only way to output a drawing is a page at a time (and naturally only one page per file).
    No. In CS3 you could:
    1. Open the 30 x 30 map in AI on a 30 x 30 Artboard.
    2. In the Print dialog, set up 7 x 9 page tiling, and in the Output pane, select Tile Full Pages.
    3. Export a multi-page PDF.
    But again, the content of the PDF pages would merely mask the artwork that extends beyond each page tile. Your PDF file(s) will still likely be much larger than necessary.
    Understand, that may still be a workable option if the client places in his page layouts some
    other format that actually crops the artwork. In other words, you could:
    1. Get the FH native artwork into AI and perform all the cleanup necessary for the AI file to become from now on your permanent working file.
    2. Use a single Artboard, and use PageTiling as described above to export the multi-page PDF.
    3. Use Acrobat Professional to export the PDF pages to raster images.
    4. Place the raster images in whatever program is to be used for the whole document page layouts.
    > The client is on a PC (not necessarily a powerful one); has a friend with Illustrator. Is open to upgrading his equipment. I'm on a Mac G4, running Illustrator CS3 and soon CS4.
    The above workflow should work fine. To be self-sufficient, it would require as a minimum:
    * The client contracting with you to build a proper and clean AI version of the FH map. Depending on the actual content, that may be a straightforward file translation, or it may require alot of tedious and time-consuming cleanup after importing the FH artwork.
    * The client (and/or friend) would need Illustrator and Acrobat Pro, plus whatever program he choses for the page assembly work. If he/they use AI CS4, that
    may suffice for the page-assembly portion of the work, too. That's yet to be seen. One limitation that comes immediately to mind is that AICS4's long overdue multiple page capability is (unlike FH's) limited to 100 pages.
    > Or say, "sorry, editable files aren't practical, but here's a good set of prints for you to mark up, and I'll do the edits and make you a set of PDFs" which is more how I usually work.
    That is, of course, for you to work out with the client. It sounds like your head is screwed on straight. You are looking for the most practical and expedient solution to server your customer, not being denfensive and desirous of requiring the client to come to you for every little edit.
    The decisions is going to boil down to how much actual illustration editing know-how he wants to take on. It can be a great hands-on training opportunity for you as his "on call" trainer. That arrangement would provide your client the practical autonomy he wants, with the comfort and confidence that things won't get out of whack with you as his outsource guru.
    Or, the client may find that the editing tasks require more hands-on skill than he wants to take on. Consider doing a walk-through exercise to show him (and/or his staff) the skills involved in the kinds of edits they will need to make routinely.
    Regardless, though, I would firmly insist that the editing needs to be always done "according to Hoyle" in the native illustration program--and
    never (stress this) by means of cheezy workaounds in the page-layout program, or some intermediate program. That is
    not in your client's best interest, even if it seems initially the "easy way out." It will quickly lead to the map artwork becomming an unmanageable mess.
    continues...
    JET

  • How do I print multiple (PDF) pages per sheet in Lion?

    The printing interface has changed in preview, and whereas there used to be an option to print multiple pages per sheet, there's now only an option to print multiple copies per sheet. The latter is of no use to me, whereas printing multiple pages per sheet was very useful since I often print large documents.

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    Message was edited by: Sebastian0883

  • I am using CC adobe Acrobat to combine multiple pdfs and add page numbers. Mac users can no longer read the page numbers but pc users can.

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    Hi KnoopL,
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  • Can't combine PDFs in Preview 7.0

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