Merging PDFs using Preview

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Level 1

5 points

Merging PDFs using Preview

I have followed all of the steps and have my PDFs all linked together under the same window in the thumbnails section, but when I save it only saves one document not all of the PDFs together. I have tried exporting as well, same thing. How can I make Preview merge the PDFs and save them as one big PDF? Also, it says to press Save As, but there is no save as. All I can see is File > Close Window, Close Selected PDF Document, Save, Duplicate, Rename, Move to, Export and Revert To. I am using Mountain Lion. Thanks

Posted on Feb 2, 2013 12:43 AM

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Answer 1

Jeff Shenk

Level 4

2,993 points

Feb 2, 2013 8:45 AM in response to davden90925

It would probably have been better to ask a Mountain Lion question in the forum for Mountain Lion instead of the one for Snow Leopard, but I can at least make a couple of suggestions.

Working from the bottom to the top, in Mountain Lion, you have to hold the Option key while selecting the File menu to see the Save As… item.

In the newer versions of Preview, you can have multiple documents in one window, with the thumbnails for all of them in the sidebar. If you grab the thumbnail(s) for the second document and drag it up toward the first, you will see a divider between the two document as the pointer approaches the first and a "+" sign will appear next to the pointer as it crosses into the first document. If you release the mouse button when the "+" is showing, it will merge the two into one document.

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Answer 2

Feb 4, 2013 9:08 PM in response to Jeff Shenk

I was easily able to do this for my sister on her older mac just as you described. I upgraded to 10.8.2 and cannot do what you describe.

Edit: When three or more thumbnails exist, make it simple by dumbing it down to only two then adding using a top down approach. Man I'm glad it works now.

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Answer 3

davden90925 Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 4, 2013 10:15 PM in response to Jeff Shenk

You're right, I thought it was just under the merging with preview section. I now see the Save As button, but it still doesn't merge them, it just means that when I open the new file it open both and automatically puts them in the same window, which doesn't work when they are opened in Acrobat or iBooks. The drag and drop to create folder part doesn't seem to work, but I know what you mean. Anyways, it was much easier downloading some small merging software. Thanks anyway.

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