Preview freezes when trying to merge PDF files

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I have the same problem with the Preview version that comes along with newer Mac / OS X (older versions had no such issue), which is the freeze when Inserting Page from File. This post gave me an idea which seems to work just now: I have a PDF downloaded from the Internet, to which I want to add another PDF created by Save as PDF in Safari. This had caused a freeze when Insert P-f-F in all my previous attempts.

Then I Export as PDF the first doc under a new name, open the resulting PDF, then use Ins P-f-F to add the second doc at the place wanted in Thumbnail. This works, like it used to be.

Reading from all the posts relating to this problem, i think it may not be much because of changes in Preview in different OS versions, as it is with changes with the PDF formats in recent years. Or maybe it's 50-50. Maybe Preview does not keep up with the latter. I'm just glad there's this work-around because to me Preview has always been a simple and very useful tool with its many functions to not only work with PDF's but also to acquire (scan) and manipulate images.

(Forgot to mention) An alternative is DocHub, an free-for-personal-use app on Google Drive. PDF's can be uploaded and sourced from different clouds, then edited and exported or downloaded. This whole process is a little more tedious than Preview because of the up/downloads, and also a bit slower, because of networking, but can be a last resort solution when PDF's don't work in Preview.

this function adding pages blank or not, including other pdf files that you want to merge is not working in my experience most of the times.

if you show the thumbnails and then drag the other files to where you want the merge / add pdf pages from other pdf files it works

I hope that helps

if you show the thumbnails and then drag the other files to where you want the merge / add pdf pages from other pdf files it works

I hope that helps

That is the way I have always used it, and it continues to work for me in Sierra.

But then I just went and tried Edit->Insert->Page from File... and it works also.

this is such a buggy app and apple does not care at all to fix it, I went ahead and got PDF EXPERT FOR MAC it is a paid app but it works all the time and it does a lot more things than preview plus to add pages you just drag and bingo done, save and when you go back to the original file it is there they way you left it *

I wrote before that dragging files to preview it works but it does NOT save it *, it gives you the impression that you added the pages you save there is no error message than to my surprise when I go back to the original file the dragged extra pages were not there !!! so I had to reboot every single time if I want to add pages to preview using the insert function since the drag option is deceitful

Way to go apple :-(

Problem happens when adding files to thumbnail window.

I've had this problem for all the years I've had my Mac air - since mid 2013. Seems to be getting worse.. so I've now downloaded PDF Merger free.

Apple - this is ridiculous.

I tried it on my iMac it works fine.

I've got a 2015 iMac (bought in 2016) el capitan, upgrade several times to latest Sierra. i'm on 10.12.5 (perhaps one update behind)

Never had any problem with updating or broken software. But I always follow Apple advice and run only a few well known softwares, and bsd things.

I tried PDF insert PDF with a large Periodic Table of Elements PDF (several thousand of placed text and lines). I tried it with an old PDF file (version 1.2 converted by GNU/Linux) with a new PTE, and also using EPS old and new. All worked.

However, while opening one older pdf i got a warning "font not installed - rendering may be lackluster" which reminds me: if your using PDF with (broken) fonts from some (foreign) system - expect problems with questionable fonts.

Perhaps you installed software that was not from the App Store. What software have you installed that may have altered your iMac? You might have to re-fresh your imac (after carefully insuring your files are backed up) if you've installed software that is "not approved". Or maybe it's a font problem.

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It might be helpful to identify exactly what PDF your working with (what created it, it's general appearance). I'm unsure if you can post files on this board, unfortunately.

But it should work %100 and quick. Does on mine.

You make a good point about being careful with one installs in one's mac.

Perhaps you installed software that was not from the App Store. What software have you installed that may have altered your iMac? You might have to re-fresh your imac (after carefully insuring your files are backed up) if you've installed software that is "not approved". Or maybe it's a font problem.

People have a lot of software installed. It is quite possible the OP does not know the answer to your question.

That is why I often recommend a certain diagnostic tool...

Since the supporters here do not have this behaviour on all versions of Sierra (10.12.1-5), it might be that a non Apple app is interfering (e.g. an alternative for Finder or some other app), it would help if you can post an etrecheck list here. You can read about what it does, how to use it here: etrecheck.com

download the latest version if you have it already, and post the list here.

Lex

For me this actually only occurs if I drag the thumbnail over the main window/document. If I instead align the source document to the right on the screen and the receiving document to the left and drag the thumbnail to the new window, it works.

I had freezing when bringing in PDF files into Preview. I have regular Sierra and Macbook Air 2011. I figured out, though, that after bringing in one page to an existing PDF file, I had to make sure the cursor position in the Thumbnail section was NOT at end of the file (at the bottom). If so, next addition of a file would freeze Preview. So, I kept leaving the cursor position at least 1 before the last page in the Thumbnail section and it didn't freeze anymore. Hope this helps someone.

I just tested the combine PDF solution from here, and it worked as expected on macOS Sierra 10.12.1. The order in which you select the PDF files will be the order of combination. If the files are in a folder, and bear an obvious ascending collating sequence, then you may press command+a to select them, and they will be combined in their sorted name/numeric order.

Skim down in the web page as the Automator service is already created and downloadable.

It is anyone's guess why Preview is freezing on you, and if Adobe Acrobat Reader DC would permit combining PDF, that would be my recommendation.