01
Free on Mac: Preview
- Open the first PDF in Preview.
- Choose View > Thumbnails.
- Drag the other PDFs from Finder into the thumbnail sidebar, where you want them to go.
- Drag thumbnails to reorder pages, then choose File > Export as PDF.
Sending five separate PDFs when someone expects one is annoying for everyone. Merging puts them into a single file in the order you choose.
Windows has no built-in way to merge PDFs, Macs do, and online tools mean uploading your files to somebody else's server. Here are the options.
02
Online merge tools: fine for non-sensitive files
Browser-based merge sites work for a menu or a flyer. For contracts, medical records, client files or anything under a confidentiality obligation, uploading them to an unknown server is a risk. Use an offline tool instead.
03
On Windows: PDF Split & Merge (offline)
Magic Soft PDF Split & Merge merges any number of PDFs on your own PC. It doesn't need Acrobat, and nothing is uploaded.
01
Add the files
Add PDFs individually, import a whole folder (subfolders included), or drag them in. Duplicate files are detected so the same PDF isn't added twice.
02
Set the order
Choose Merge and use the Up/Down buttons until the list is in the order you want. That's the order of the final document.
03
Choose options
Keep bookmarks on to get one bookmark per source file. Turn on blank-page removal to drop empty scanned pages. Enter passwords for protected files.
04
Export
Choose Standard PDF, PDF/A-1b or PDF/A-2b, pick a folder and click Start.
Bookmarks make the merged file easy to move around in: each one jumps to the first page of an original document.
04
Tips for a clean merged PDF
- Name files in order first (
01 Cover.pdf,02 Contract.pdf), then the list starts in the right order. - Use PDF/A for records that have to open the same way in years to come. See what PDF/A is.
- Number after merging. If pages need Bates numbers, merge first and stamp once, so the numbers run continuously. See batch Bates numbering.
- Watch the size. Large merged files may be too big to email; split them by size if needed.
05
Merge options compared
| Mac Preview | Online tools | PDF Split & Merge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Often free | From $19 |
| Files stay on your PC | Yes | No | Yes |
| Bookmarks per file | No | Sometimes | Yes |
| Blank-page removal | No | Rarely | Yes |
| PDF/A output | No | Rarely | Yes |
Summary
On a Mac, Preview merges PDFs for free. On Windows, or when files are confidential, use an offline tool and get bookmarks and blank-page removal as well. To pull pages out instead, see how to split a PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Windows can view and print PDFs but has no built-in merge. Use a PDF tool such as PDF Split & Merge.
Reorder them in the file list with the Up/Down buttons before merging. The list order is the page order.
Yes. Enter the password for each protected file in the list before you merge.
It checks each page's content and leaves out pages that are actually empty, such as blank backs of scanned sheets.
No. You can add as many PDFs to a merge list as you need.
