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Combine or merge files into single PDF

Last updated on Dec 5, 2024 | Also applies to Adobe Acrobat 2017, Adobe Acrobat 2020

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Combine two or more files into a single PDF in the office or on the go. Drag and drop thumbnails to arrange pages in the right order from your computer or any web browser.

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Combine different file formats into a PDF in a few simple steps.

Open Acrobat

Combine files into a single PDF

Use the Combine Files tool to merge Word, Excel, PowerPoint, audio, or video files, web pages, or existing PDFs. Acrobat lets you preview and arrange the documents and pages before creating the file. You can delete unwanted pages and move individual pages from a document anywhere among the combined pages. Acrobat converts the pages of the various files into sequential pages of a single PDF. You can combine the files that are already open or select the files from your device.

Combine open files

Open Acrobat. Hover over the Create tab.
Select Combine files. It opens the Combine files window.
From the Combine files window, select Add open files. Open PDF Files dialog box opens.
From the Open PDF Files dialog box, select the files that you want to combine. To select the files on macOS, press command and select the files, or for Windows, press Ctrl and select files (Windows).
Select Add Files.
The files that you added are shown in the Combine files window. You can re-arrange the documents in the order you like. Then select Combine from the top-right.

The combined files open in a new tab in Acrobat.

Combine files

Open Acrobat. Hover over the Create tab.
Select Combine files. It opens the Combine files window.
From the Combine files window, select Add files. A browser window opens. You can select the files you want to combine. To select the files on macOS, press command and select the files, or for Windows, press Ctrl and select files (Windows).
From the Open PDF Files dialog box, select the files that you want to combine. To select the files on macOS, press command and select the files, or for Windows, press Ctrl and select files (Windows).
Select Add Files.

Note:

If you add a folder that contains files other than PDFs, the non-PDF files are not added.
The files that you added are shown in the Combine files window. You can re-arrange the documents in the order you like. Then select Combine from the top-right.

The combined files open in a new tab in Acrobat.

Preferences for combining files

Once you add the files you want to combine, you will see the added files in the Combine files window. You can rearrange pages, delete pages, move files up or down the list, and much more.

Rearrange Pages	In the Thumbnail view, drag-and-drop the file or page into position. As you drag, a blue bar moves between pages or documents to indicate the current position.
Expand pages or Collapse Document	In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page or file and select the Expand pages thumbnail. In the expanded view, you can easily move the individual pages among the other pages and documents. To collapse the pages, hover over the first page and select the Collapse Document thumbnail.
Preview pages	In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page and then select the Zoom thumbnail.
Delete pages	In the Thumbnail view, hover over the page and select the Delete thumbnail.
Sort files	In the List view, select the column name you want to sort by. Select again to sort in reverse order. The list's order of files reflects the files' order in the combined PDF. Sorting rearranges the pages of the combined PDF.
Move files up or down file list	Select the file or files you want to move in the List view. Then select the Move Up or Move Down button.

File size options for combining files

Once you add the files you want to combine, you'll see the added files in the Combine files window. You can decrease or increase the size of the combined file using Options.

Select Options, and select one of the file size options for the converted file:

Smaller File Size	Reduces large images to screen resolution and compresses the images by using low-quality JPEG. This option is suitable for onscreen display, email, and the Internet.
Default File Size	Create PDFs suitable for reliable viewing and printing of business documents. The PDF files in the list retain their original file size and quality.
Larger File Size	Creates PDFs suitable for printing on desktop printers. Applies the High Quality Print conversion preset and the PDF files in the list retain the original file size and quality.

Options to change the file size of the combined file is shown.

Note:

Larger File Size option may result in a larger file size for the final PDF.

If any source files are already PDFs, the Smaller File Size option applies the Reduce File Size feature to those files. The Reduce File Size feature is not applied if either the Default File Size or Larger File Size option is selected.

In the Options dialog box, specify the conversion settings as needed, then select OK.
When you've finished arranging the pages, select Combine from the upper-right.

Insert one PDF into another

Open the PDF you want to use as the foundation for the combined file.
From the All tools menu, select Organize Pages. The Organize Pages toolset is displayed.
From the Organize pages toolbar, select Insert > From File.

Alternatively, you can right-click a page and select Insert Pages to get the insert options.
Select the PDF you want to insert and choose Select.
In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to insert the document. Select the option as per your need from the Location drop-down menu, and then select OK.
To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, go to File in the upper left, select Save As, and enter a new name for the merged PDF.

Note:

You can also add an existing file to an opened PDF. Drag the file icon directly into the Page Thumbnails panel in the navigation pane.

Insert a clipboard selection into a PDF

You can insert one or more pages of selected content from any application into an existing PDF.
Make sure that the content you want to add is copied to the clipboard.

Open the PDF in which you want to add the copied content. Select All Tools > Organize Pages. The Organize Pages toolset is displayed in the left pane.
In the Organize pages tools pane, select Insert > From Clipboard.
In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to insert the selection (before or after the first or last page or a designated page), and then select OK.
To leave the original PDF intact as a separate file, go to the File menu in the upper-left, select Save As, and enter a new name for the merged PDF.

Insert a web page or a blank page into a PDF

You can insert a web page into an existing PDF by selecting All Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > From Web Page. In the dialog box that appears, enter the URL of the page that you want to add and select Add.

You can also add a blank page to your PDF document by:

Selecting All Tools > Organize Pages > Insert > Blank Page.

In the Insert Pages dialog box, specify where to add the blank page.
You can also use the context menu to add a blank page between two pages. Select All Tools > Organize Pages to get the page thumbnail view. In the page thumbnail view, right-click the page where you want to insert a blank page. Select Insert Pages > A Blank Page.

Placing PDFs as linked files in other documents

You can incorporate PDFs into other files that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), such as InDesign® or Word files. These files are called OLE container documents. Later, if you edit the original PDF, the OLE features in the container application update the embedded file in the container document to reflect your changes.

Do one of the following:

Select the OLE container application’s Insert Object command or Insert Hyperlink command.
(Windows) In Acrobat, select Edit > Copy File To Clipboard, then choose the Paste Special command in the container application.

Do one of the following:
- Choose the OLE container application’s Insert Object command or Insert Hyperlink command.
- (Windows) In Acrobat, select Edit > Copy File To Clipboard, then select the Paste Special command in the container application.

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