Want to turn a bunch of PDFs into one for reading, sending, archiving or printing? Looking to make a PDF out of an assortment of images? Find out here how to combine PDF files on a Mac for free using macOS Preview.
First, Numbers and Letters Circle around a Flat Earth
A map is the fitting backdrop to a clock face with 12 Roman numerals (some of them replaced with mere indicators); then 24 Arabic numbers around them and 37 cities printed around that to top it off.
The famed Patek Philippe ref. 1415HU (“HU” for heure universelle or universal (world) time) was the first regularly produced watch which let you quickly see the current time in any time zone (as they were, well, at the time in 1939). The 24-hour ring turns counter-clockwise at half the speed of the hour hand as the local time’s hands work like they do on any watch.
Now, want to combine not cities and time zones into one display but files and PDFs?
How to Combine PDF Files on a Mac Using Preview
Time needed: 2 minutes
To combine two or more PDF files into.a.single document using macOS Preview on a Mac:
- Open the PDF files you want to combine in Preview.
Here’s how: Highlight the files in Finder, for example, click on the selection with the right mouse button and select Open With | Preview from the context menu.
- Make sure thumbnails are visible in the Preview sidebars.
Here’s how: Select View | Thumbnails from the menu.
Preview keyboard shortcut: You can also press Command Option 2.
Every window: Make thumbnails visible for all windows. - Duplicate the document whose pages you want to see at the end of the combined PDF file.
Here’s how: Select File | Duplicate from the menu.
Keyboard shortcut: Press Command Shift S to duplicate.
Save as…: Think of duplicating as saving a copy with a new name; this is so the original PDF remains intact. - In the PDF whose pages you want to come before that in the resulting PDF, select all pages in the thumbnails sidebar.
Here’s how: Click in the sidebar and press Command A.
Not all: You need not select all pages; you can also combine only select or individual pages if you only select those in the sidebar. - Drag and drop the preview images to the sidebar of the duplicate
Side by side: You can position the windows overlapping or side by side to do this, or switch windows using Mission Control, for example.
Plus sign: The mouse cursor will gain a plus sign to indicate copying.
On top: It is easier to build the combined PDF from the back, but you can insert the copied pages anywhere, of course.
- Repeat the copying for all files you want to combine.
- Save the combined PDF.
You’ve added what needs to be added; now take away what needs to be taken away: How to Redact Text in a PDF with Mac Preview
How to Combine PDF Files on a Mac Using Preview: FAQ
Can I rearrange the pages when combining?
Yes.
You can drag and drop individual pages in Preview thumbnail sidebar to get them into the order you want.
Can I delete pages from the PDF?
Yes.
To delete any page from the combined PDF, highlight its thumbnail in the sidebar and press Backspace.
Can I also combine images into a PDF file?
Yes.
The steps for converting images into a PDF file are essentially the same. Do export the result to a PDF file, of course.
(How to combine PDF files on a Mac using Preview tested with macOS Sonoma 14.2 and Ventura 13.4; first published July 2023, last updated January 2024)