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R_55a Author

Level 2

258 points

Automator and combining PDFs

I want to automate the combining of PDFs. I had one such device once. It has disappeared somehow. I think that I had saved it as a workflow. Since then I have changed machines and operating systems. It's gone now. So now I am starting from scratch.

From what I read online, I am thinking that saving my Automator script as a Quick Action might be worth trying. I found a two drawbacks. The smaller problem is that I can use Quick Action as a Service only within an open window. Using an open window can be inconvenient. The bigger problem is that the "Combine PDF" tool appears to combine the PDFs in that window in alphabetical order. I want instead to combine them in chronological order, and that order does not manifest itself in the names of the individual PDFs. I found that within the "Combine PDF" tool I cannot move the individual files around as I can in, say, Preview.

I do not want to retitle the files, because those names mean something.

Is there a way to rearrange the PDFs within Automator to combine in the proper order?

And would some other form, such as "Application" or "Workflow" accomplish my goal?

Mac mini, macOS 10.15

Posted on May 10, 2021 4:20 PM

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

117,076 points

Posted on May 10, 2021 7:01 PM

If you create a Quick Action, you can order the files in Finder however is possible, then select all you want to combine, then run the QA and open in Preview.

You can even select the files while sorted in some way that makes it easy to select them, then change the sort to some Date criteria and it will use the order of the files when activated.

You can also create a shortcut for the Quick Action and use that shortcut after selection.

You could also create an application and drag the files onto the app, but I don't know what order you would end up getting.

I don't know how to make something that will sequentially add to some base PDF.

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Automator and combining PDFs

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