Have you run into a situation where you have multiple related PDFs on your Mac? If yes, learning how to combine PDF files on a Mac into a single PDF can be really helpful. Not only will this help keep things organized, but it will also facilitate sharing by requiring you to attach a single PDF instead of multiple individual PDFs.
Keep reading as we show you three ways to combine multiple PDF documents into a single PDF on your Mac.
How to Combine PDFs on Mac
There are several quick and easy ways to merge or combine PDF files on your Mac, from using Finder or the Preview app available in macOS to third-party editing tools. Here’s a closer, step-by-step look at each method.
How to merge PDFs on Mac using Preview
The Preview app’s functionality isn’t limited to previewing images and PDF files in macOS. It also packs some basic editing tools to help modify files.
Follow these steps to use Preview for merging PDF documents on a Mac:
- Open the Preview app on your Mac.
- Select the PDF file you want to combine. Then, click Open.
- Click the View option in the menu bar and select Thumbnails. You’ll see the page thumbnails show up in the sidebar on the left.
- Drag and drop the second PDF from the Finder on the sidebar. (You may drop the PDF when you see a green plus icon while dragging.)
If you don’t want to merge entire PDF files, you may also combine parts of one PDF with another using this method. Instead of opening a single PDF, you may open two PDF Preview windows side-by-side and simply drag and drop single pages between PDFs. However, remember to enable Thumbnails under View first.
How to combine multiple PDFs into one on Mac
In addition to using the Preview app on your Mac, you can combine multiple PDFs into one using the Create PDF Quick Action inside Finder.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Locate and open Finder on your Mac from the Dock.
- Select the PDFs you want to combine and right-click on them.
- In the subsequent menu, click Quick Action and Create PDF.
If you don’t see Create PDF under Quick Actions, click Customize and check off the checkbox next to Create PDF.
How to combine PDF files on Mac for free with an online tool
If you’re looking for a simpler and faster solution to merge PDF documents on a Mac, you must check out Adobe Acrobat’s Merge PDFs tool. It’s free to use, and the best part is you can use it on any device.
Follow these steps to merge PDFs on your Mac using the Merge PDFs tool:
- Go to Adobe Acrobat’s Merge PDFs tool in your favorite browser. (You may need to create a free Adobe account to use this tool.)
- Click Select Files.
- Select all the PDF files that you want to combine and click Open.
- Wait for the PDFs to upload, then select the PDFs and click Merge.
- Once the PDF files are processed, click Download to save the PDF.
Combining PDFs on a Mac is easy!
Combining multiple PDF files into a single document on a Mac is straightforward. You can use any of the above methods, depending on your preference, to merge PDFs on your Mac for free.
If you prefer to work on the go with just an iPhone or iPad, we have a dedicated guide on how to merge PDFs on an iPhone and iPad that you may also find useful.
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