Yosemite: Preview Won't Manipulate or Merge PDFs

Using Yosemite 10.10 on 10-18-14 with a Macbook Pro Retina Early 2013, I can't manipulate PDFs using Preview 8.0. The PDF is not locked, and I have full read/write permission.

I can open a PDF. I can delete a page in a PDF. I can rotate a page in the PDF. However, I CAN'T move a page from one location to another within the same PDF. I CAN'T merge the contents of one PDF into another PDF.

When I try to move a page within a PDF a "hole" opens up between the pages (that slid apart to allow the page to be moved there) but the page is not moved to that location and the "hole" does not close up until the PDF is closed and reopened. When I drag the source PDF to the desired position inside the thumbnail on the left side of the recipient PDF, the thumbnail pages slide apart and the green + appears over the icon for the source PDF confirming that I want to add the PDF in that location. However when I release the mouse, the document springs back to its former location without being added. Unlike in an attempted page move, however, the thumbnails slide back together.

I have to manipulate PDFs all the time, and if anyone can tell me what I'm (suddenly) doing wrong, I would be most appreciative. I have Adobe Acrobat, so I can work around the problem, but Acrobat is slow and difficult to work with. Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Oct 18, 2014 9:55 AM

82 replies

Jun 16, 2015 2:42 PM in response to Litag8r

I managed it this way:

1 select multiple PDF's in finder, right click and open them with Preview

2 in Preview: command + A to select all pages

3 File - print selected images

4 in the next window, don't click print but click on the pdf button left under, than click "save as Pdf". Done

sabeen60

Level 1

0 points

Jun 21, 2015 12:22 PM in response to smackit

thank you a simple solution to such a complicated problem 🙂

Oct 3, 2015 7:09 AM in response to Gregg Palmer

The method mentioned above worked for me. Thanks!

Oct 9, 2015 3:59 AM in response to Bonnie155

Somewhere up the discussion list was a link to a video the member of the forum helpfully posted.I too found this but I was grabbing the thumbnails from a source document and dragging them to a space under the last thumbnail of the target PDF document - I was getting two separate documents - a l one was visible between the target and source documents. The video made me experiment - just highlight and grabs the thumbnails in a source document and drag them ON TOP (not below) the last thumbnail on the source document and then Preview merges them. Don't know if this helps others but my IT Trainer at the University where I work and I found that a useful piece of learning. I think this is different, I recall being able to drag thumbnails into an empty space before. Anyhow.... that works

Jan 12, 2016 4:59 AM in response to slisa567

Thanks!!! This one works! But you don't need to duplicate it in the end. When all the pages are placed in that upper thumbnail, you can just press the red exit button and Preview will ask you whether you want to save the file. If you save it, the first file will contain all the merged pages! 🙂

Feb 26, 2016 4:50 PM in response to Litag8r

I may have found a solution.

When you scan the file select "pdf" and "combine into single document".

When you scan the first page, find it in the folder you sent it to and open in PREVIEW.

Now while that first pdf is open in preview, scan the second page.

After the second page scans it disappears from "finder" on my macbook.

Since you have the pdf open in Preview scan as many pages as you like onto that document.

After that, select file > Export as PDF. Select the folder you would like it in and it will appear there. If you select the same folder, it will replace the old "disappeared" file.

Let me know if it works out!

gutchgal

Level 1

4 points

Oct 3, 2016 2:27 PM in response to Litag8r

EASY FIX for me using Yosemite on imac (not sure about other devices.) Change your VIEW to THUMBNAILS. That will be the familiar split screen where you can drag & merge pages.

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Yosemite: Preview Won't Manipulate or Merge PDFs