How To Combine PDF Files For Free [Windows, Mac, Online] 2022

Combine PDF Files For Free

Industry-standard compression algorithms allow PDFs to store multiple pages, ideal for multiple document and image processing jobs. The PDF format is widely used in business and educational fields, and the need to merge PDFs also emerged at this time. When you create multiple PDF files, combining them can facilitate you to quickly manage or print them, which can save you a lot of time. 

How do I combine multiple PDFs into one PDF? Below is a complete solution for you. The method of combining PDF files may vary on different systems or platforms. Without further ado, let’s explore how to combine separate PDF files on Mac, Windows, and online.

Read More: 5 Free Microsoft Word Alternatives

How to Combine PDF Files on Mac

Preview can be considered one of the best applications on macOS, which provides a variety of PDF-related features such as editing, management, annotations, and signing PDF. The preview program provides a very useful function for combining PDFs, especially for those who do not download any three-way program to their computers.

Step 1. Open PDF in Preview

Use the Preview app on your Mac to open multiple PDF files that need to be merged. If you want to show page thumbnails in the sidebar, go to View > Click Thumbnails.

Step 2. Insert PDF pages

Hold down the Command key, click to select one or more page thumbnails that need to be added to another PDF document, and then release this button.

Then drag the selected thumbnails into the sidebar of the other PDF and release them where you want them to appear.

Step 3. Save the new PDF file

After the PDF files are successfully merged, you need to save the new file. Go to the File menu > select Export as PDF to save the merged file. It’s Done!

How to Combine PDF Files Windows 10

Unlike Mac, Windows 10 only allows you to view PDF files in the Edge browser but does not allow you to do anything with them like combine PDFs. To combine multiple PDF files on your Windows 10 computer, you need to rely on a professional PDF merger. As a versatile PDF software, PDFgear packs more than 20 tools including merging tools. To quickly master PDFgear’s combination of PDF skills, the following provides you with a detailed tutorial.

Step 1. Free Download PDFgear on Windows

Go to PDFgear’s download page and free download PDFgear to your Windows PC. It won’t take much time to successfully install PDFgear to your computer.

Open PDFgear software, then find PDF merger in the toolbox.

Step 2. Import multiple PDF files

Click the Add Files button, which will jump to the file explorer. Find the target PDF document and add it to the merge tool, use the Ctrl shortcut to import multiple files at once. 

After the files are uploaded successfully, you can use the up and down arrows to reorder the pages. PDFgear also provides various page range options to customize the combination settings, and you can choose a name and save the location for your output files before the merge begins.

Step 3. Save the newly merged PDF

Once you have everything configured, click the red “Merge” button. PDFgear will automatically start the process of merging PDF files and give you a new PDF file after a few seconds.

How to Combine PDF Files Online

It is also a smart way to combine multiple PDF documents into one file online. Breaking the limitations of devices and systems, you can bundle your multiple PDF files together online in any situation where you have an Internet connection. As an easy-to-use free PDF tool, PDFgear is committed to providing you with a good experience of combining PDF files. Here’s how to merge PDF documents online through PDFgear.

Step 1. Navigate to PDFgear Merge Tool

Free access to PDFgear online PDF merger on your device browser, this online PDF tool is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android systems. Unlike other free PDF merging tools, PDFgear does not limit the size and number of files you can upload.

Step 2. Upload PDF files to the online merge tool

To upload the PDF files you need to merge, you can use the drag-and-drop feature to add PDF files one by one. Or, click the Select PDF files button to jump to the file explorer and import multiple target PDF files at once.

Step 3. Download the newly merged PDF files

When everything is ready, click the “Merge PDF” button. After the files are successfully merged and saved on the server, click the “Download” option to download them. You can find the merged PDF file in your browser’s download folder and use it as you originally planned.

How to Combine PDF Files: FAQs 

How do I combine PDF files without Acrobat?

We have moved away from the days when we could only combine PDFs through Adobe Acrobat, and the emergence of desktop software and online tools has given us more options. For Mac users, you can give priority to the Preview App. PDFgear provides standalone software and online tools for those who need to combine PDF files. 

Can you combine PDF files in Foxit Reader?

To meet the needs of users who want to combine PDF files, Foxit provides online tools. Drag and drop your PDF files into the online PDF Merger > click the up and down arrows to reorder the files or click the recycle bin button to delete the files > click “Start Now” to merge PDF files > the download dialog box will pop up after the merge is complete.

What is the best PDF Merge software?

It depends because everyone has different needs in merging PDFs. But a good PDF merge software can merge different PDF documents without quality loss, and the merging process is fast. The intuitive user interface and extra advanced merging features are also the highlights of the best merging software.

How do I merge two PDF files in Linux?

To merge two PDF files in Linux, please refer to the following steps: Use your browser to access to PDFgear online merge > drag and drop the two files you need to merge into the tool > wait for PDFgear to finish the merging task automatically > click Download button to download the newly merged PDF files.

How do I merge PDF files in Google Drive?

If you want to merge PDF files in Google Drive, you can choose to download an extension to use with your Google Cloud Drive. But if you have a large number of PDF files to merge, professional software like PDFgear will provide you with benefits.

The Bottom Line

You may need to combine multiple PDF files for different reasons, and combining PDF files is also an important means of document consolidation. After combining multiple PDFs, it becomes easier to find keyword information and helps you get rid of the trouble of dealing with separate attachments. 

Combining PDF files is not a difficult task, and you should not sweat it. We have discussed in detail above how to operate merging PDFs on each platform, and we hope this post will be helpful to you as well.