Creating Multiple Page PDF Files

[cpjakes]

Hopefully this is an easy question to answer - I'm looking to take multiple documents and create one PDF file. Like scanning multiple pages of something and instead of having each page be a file, creating one file. In Preview, you can open multiple PDFs in the same window, but if you print (or Save to PDF from the print dialogue, it will only do each document as is.

I would like to avoid loading multiple pages into Word and then exporting to PDF and I would also like to avoid having to buy Acrobat. Is this PDF function limited in OS X or am I missing something?

Thanks all,
cpjakes

[wrldwzrd89]

Hopefully this is an easy question to answer - I'm looking to take multiple documents and create one PDF file. Like scanning multiple pages of something and instead of having each page be a file, creating one file. In Preview, you can open multiple PDFs in the same window, but if you print (or Save to PDF from the print dialogue, it will only do each document as is.

I would like to avoid loading multiple pages into Word and then exporting to PDF and I would also like to avoid having to buy Acrobat. Is this PDF function limited in OS X or am I missing something?

Thanks all,
cpjakes

Sadly, OS X's PDF function can't combine multiple documents into one PDF. I would like to see this feature added too; I've just had to live with it for now.

[wordmunger]

I would like to avoid loading multiple pages into Word and then exporting to PDF.

Why? What's the problem with doing that? If you don't have Word, you can use almost any program to do this--even TextEdit--it's not really even an extra step, unless you already have the pages in PDF form.

Since Adobe licenses the PDF format to Apple, I doubt you'll ever see native Mac OS capability to combine PDFs--Adobe wants you to buy Acrobat.

[live4ever]

I use this it works great.

http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/Freeware/CombinePDFs.html

[7on]

I think PDF was made open. Isn't there xPDF or something for Linux?

Anyway, Apple's save to PDF recompresses pictures. Not exactly lossless. And people complain about turning mp3 > aac. sheesh.

[Santiago]

PDFMerge is a program for doing precisely that. It's free for a fully-functional 10- or 15-day trial, then costs $20 or $30 after that.

[cpjakes]

I use this it works great.

http://www.monkeybreadsoftware.de/Freeware/CombinePDFs.html

Great solution!! And it appears to be free!! Thanks!

And wordmunger, the documents that I have are already PDFs, scanned graphical documents, but each one page in length. Just looking to consolidate.

[wordmunger]

Well, then... It looks like I've contributed almost zero to this thread. Sorry if I misled anyone.

However, according to this (http://swexpert.com/CC/SE.C12.DEC.01.pdf) PDF, PDF is not open. But you're right, 7on, as far as I can tell (from a 10-minute Web search), Apple didn't license PDF, just reverse-engineered their PDF engine. So a PDF-combining tool might be in their future. However, I still wonder if Adobe might not be too happy with Apple if they stepped so boldly onto Adobe turf.

[bousozoku]

Well, then... It looks like I've contributed almost zero to this thread. Sorry if I misled anyone.

However, according to this (http://swexpert.com/CC/SE.C12.DEC.01.pdf) PDF, PDF is not open. But you're right, 7on, as far as I can tell (from a 10-minute Web search), Apple didn't license PDF, just reverse-engineered their PDF engine. So a PDF-combining tool might be in their future. However, I still wonder if Adobe might not be too happy with Apple if they stepped so boldly onto Adobe turf.

There are plenty of software development add-ons that enable a programmer to create PDF files that Apple wouldn't have to reverse-engineer anything, thankfully. Still, Adobe doesn't like that Apple isn't licensing anything since NeXT was so good about licensing Display PostScript.

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple creates a simplified PDF creation tool that allows input from multiple sources simply because Adobe is treading lightly in Apple's consumer market.

[wordmunger]

There are plenty of software development add-ons that enable a programmer to create PDF files that Apple wouldn't have to reverse-engineer anything, thankfully.

But wouldn't those tools have to have been reverse-engineered? I'm broadly defining reverse-engineering as developing a product to function the same as an already-developed product, without knowledge of the original process used to develop the other product. Perhaps this definition is too broad, but my point is simply that Apple didn't use Adobe code, they developed their own code to do what Acrobat does.

[Sparky's]

Before this gets carried way off topic, I use Acrobat pro, If you do go to the menu bar Document>Pages>Insert (shift+cmnd+I), then find the next pdf file to add and the dialog box lets you decide where you want to put it. You can keep adding pages this way to get one single PDF.

I try to answer questions not argue the politics behind the company.

[kwackus]

Since the thread is 4 years old now, maybe everybody already knows the answer. But, to contribute to the knowledge of people looking it up for the first time, and just now finding this thread, I'll post my no-purchase-necessary solution here.

Use Automator.
It contains an operation "Combine PDF Pages" which does the job.

How to:
In finder, select the pages you want. Ctrl-click, go to the menu item "more", choose Automator.
Find the "Combine PDF Pages" operation and add to the list.
Find the "Move Finder Items" operation and add to the list (I haave had trouble finding the results without that step)
Customize and run. Add a "Rename..." operation if you like.
Easy.

Hope this helps someone, somewhere, sometime.:)

Cheers!

[FireArse]

I try to answer questions not argue the politics behind the company.

There aren't enough people like you on this forum.

I'd like to second live4ever's link - it is pretty good :)

F

[solista73]

Use Automator.
It contains an operation "Combine PDF Pages" which does the job.


I will never thank you enough, so easy, so good!
And thanks to Apple, which provides a way to solve things without spending money, although well hidden not to upset Adobe... hehe!
I'm glad you posted this even though the thread was old.
I guess I have to learn more about automator... :-)

Cheers man!

[daroel]

I recently downloaded a free googlebook, but as jpegs. I wanted to merge all files, found the simplest possible solution:

1. Grab the 1st file you want to be on the pdf. Open with Preview. Save it as a pdf. This is your reciever file, in pdf format. Open it.
2. Select all the rest of the files you want to put on the pdf. I drag them into into Preview Icon (you'll may have to use "open with..." option). This is your dragging file, inside Preview.
3. Select all files from the Drawer at Preview, and DRAG them all into the Reciever file, the pdf opened with Preview. Save.

[Sonic Purity]

This page is a great resource, and i appreciate those who have posted and MacRumors for making it possible. Still, it could use some improvement. Here is my small contribution.

It would be nice if those who post remember to include information regarding their OS and anything else pertinent. I just tried daroel’s steps, and they don’t work in Tiger 10.4.11 on a PPC Mac, with Preview Version 3.0.9 (409): it is not possible to select more than one file in the Drawer of this version of Preview at any one time. I am guessing that things have changed for the better in Leopard 10.5.x, and that that is what daroel may be using. His method seems like an excellent choice for those for which it works (though i wonder if it would not be possible to select all items at once in an initial opening in Preview and then Save?).

What should work for Tiger users
kwackus’s method (above) works for me. I’m going to re-type it, adding little bits that might help others.

Setup

Create an Automator workflow with the following sequence:

Get Selected Finder Items
Combine PDF Pages (by Appending pages)
Rename Finder Items (Add Text to Finder Item Names) <-This makes the new file easier to find, as the random name string is prepended by something known and predictable.
Move Finder Items with Show Entire Action When Run option selected. This puts up a save file dialog so one can pick where the file gets saved. Without using Move Finder Items, the original ends up in /private/temp, at least on my system (G4 AGP “Sawtooth”, OS 10.4.11).
Save As Plug-In…, into the Finder. Pick a name you’ll remember. I used “Merge PDFs from selection”.


Use

Select a group of PDF files (individual pages) in the Finder.
Control-click (or right-click etc.) any one of the selected files. You should see an option as follows:
Automator > Merge PDFs from selection [the name you gave it in step 2 of the setup process]

I’m a novice Automator user… there may very well be modifications/improvements to this process (such as having Automator know where the selected source files live and have it save the concatenated multi-page PDF to that same location without asking).

With the same hopeful wishes as kwackus,

))Sonic((

[InternalWealth]

Thanks Kwackus! I'm always looking for ways to use automator as it saves me enormous amounts of time. Worked perfectly for me.

** For those of you who have never used automator - follow Kwackus' direction exactly. It'll work for you and you'll discover a whole new (amazing) tool on your Mac

[dmhuizinga]

Since the thread is 4 years old now, maybe everybody already knows the answer. But, to contribute to the knowledge of people looking it up for the first time, and just now finding this thread, I'll post my no-purchase-necessary solution here.

Use Automator.
It contains an operation "Combine PDF Pages" which does the job.

How to:
In finder, select the pages you want. Ctrl-click, go to the menu item "more", choose Automator.
Find the "Combine PDF Pages" operation and add to the list.
Find the "Move Finder Items" operation and add to the list (I haave had trouble finding the results without that step)
Customize and run. Add a "Rename..." operation if you like.
Easy.

Hope this helps someone, somewhere, sometime.:)

Cheers!

Thank you so much for posting this! It's a wonderful help. Apple did it again for us and we have an awesome tool at our fingertips without having to add any software. Impressive!

[Rayosun]

I came here looking for a way to scan 80 8x10" pages into a single document, without having to buy add'l software.

I found that I could do it on my MiniMAC with OS 10.6 (Snowleopard) not by using the "receiving software" as I assumed I needed to do, but by using my Lexmark All-in-one X7675 scanner's software to SEND batches of 16 or so pages at a time through its automatic feeding system to a Preview file. See the screen shot below:
http://LiberalslikeChrist.Org/LexmarkScanningWindow.png

[maspapaya]

Thanks Kwackus and Sonic. That was the first time I used automator and it worked perfectly. I joined this forum just to say I think you're AWESOME for posting that tip!

[ezy000]

Thanks Kwackus and Sonic. That was the first time I used automator and it worked perfectly. I joined this forum just to say I think you're AWESOME for posting that tip!

I second that. Great post and I am loving Automator. Just haven't had time to investigate before but I will make the time now.

Thanks again posters. :D

[wrldwzrd89]

I've found yet another way of doing this: use TextEdit! Odd, but it works.

What you do is this:

Open PDF in Preview
Copy page(s) from it
Paste 'em into TextEdit
Repeat for other PDFs
Print resulting file as PDF

[dikalup]

The automator workflow doesn't work when trying it in latest version of Snow leopard, plus it only works if you're trying to combine several existing PDF files into a single PDF file.

If you're trying to combine a bunch of images into a single PDF the automator solution that soem posted will not work since it only accepts PDF as both input and output, but there is a very easy way to do it.

Select all the files you want to combine in finder, then open in preview - Preview will open with all your images in the drawer. Select all the images from the drawer and then just choose File -> "Print selected images" and then you can save as PDF. Very very easy :)

[howardnow]

For Leopard and beyond - the easy way.

Just open preview with your 1st pdf. Open the sidebar (button next to the search area).

Drag additional pdf's into the sidebar (you can rearrange order if you like).

Use "save as" and you are all set. Multiple pdfs that can be printed or emailed in one file. Nice and easy!

[ggunn]

For Leopard and beyond - the easy way.

Just open preview with your 1st pdf. Open the sidebar (button next to the search area).

Drag additional pdf's into the sidebar (you can rearrange order if you like).

Use "save as" and you are all set. Multiple pdfs that can be printed or emailed in one file. Nice and easy!Are you sure? When I do that it just saves the last page under the new filename. I am using MacOS 10.6.5.

[CylonGlitch]

Are you sure? When I do that it just saves the last page under the new filename. I am using MacOS 10.6.5.

Here is the trick. Open the first PDF [multiple pages or not] (or image, that works too) then drag the second PDF (or image) on to it. It will open at the END of the first pdf. It has NOT appended it, it just has both open. Grab the second one in the bar on the right and drag it up to the first one. You'll see the first one highlight gray and you'll get the blue underbar typically under the first page. Move the cursor up and down to get the underbar to where you want the second PDF inserted (if it is a multiple page pdf). Then release.

Now when you do save as it will save ALL of the pages. Perviously it was only saving the last PDF (or image) you opened.


The problem is, in preview, it is hard to distinguish between pages of one pdf and pages of another pdf when you have multiple pdfs open. It looks like they are one large PDF but it isn't unless you drag them together.

[LapsangSouchong]

I've found yet another way of doing this: use TextEdit! Odd, but it works.

What you do is this:

Open PDF in Preview
Copy page(s) from it
Paste 'em into TextEdit
Repeat for other PDFs
Print resulting file as PDF

Even easier. Open Preview with the sidebar open and drag the other pdf to where you want it.

[RHD]

For Leopard and beyond - the easy way.

Just open preview with your 1st pdf. Open the sidebar (button next to the search area).

Drag additional pdf's into the sidebar (you can rearrange order if you like).

Use "save as" and you are all set. Multiple pdfs that can be printed or emailed in one file. Nice and easy!

On 10.6.7 they have put a stop to that. The Print Selected images method worked for me as long as I selected all the images.

[pebblescory]

Since the thread is 4 years old now, maybe everybody already knows the answer. But, to contribute to the knowledge of people looking it up for the first time, and just now finding this thread, I'll post my no-purchase-necessary solution here.

Use Automator.
It contains an operation "Combine PDF Pages" which does the job.

How to:
In finder, select the pages you want. Ctrl-click, go to the menu item "more", choose Automator.
Find the "Combine PDF Pages" operation and add to the list.
Find the "Move Finder Items" operation and add to the list (I haave had trouble finding the results without that step)
Customize and run. Add a "Rename..." operation if you like.
Easy.

Hope this helps someone, somewhere, sometime.:)

Cheers!


Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!!! I have a huge project coming up and being able to combine these files is going to make my project more efficient and streamlined! I love that I'm learning how to use a tool that I've never accessed before and the best part of all is it's free!

[Macillus]

I've tried almost ALL the methods above using MacOS 10.6.5 and the only one that worked for me is that recommended by wrldwzrd89 above:

1. Open PDF in Preview
2. Copy page(s) from it
3. Paste them into Text Edit
4. Repeat for other PDFs
5. Use Print command to save as PDF.

It's fast and works like a charm. Thanks wrldwzrd89!

[jpdemers]

Latest salvo in Adobe's war against us poor folks (who don't have hundreds of dollars to throw at them): I just tried opening a pdf with Preview, and got this lovely message:

If this message is not eventually replaced by the proper contents of the document, your PDF viewer may not be able to display this type of document.
You can upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader for Windows®, Mac, or Linux® by visiting http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
For more assistance with Adobe Reader visit http://www.adobe.com/support/products/ acrreader.html.
:mad:

Reader, of course, does even less than Preview does (or did) ... nice "upgrade", Adobe!
Let's hope Apple is busy tackling this latest "tweak" to the pdf file format.