Merge PDF files into one document

How to merge multiple PDF files into one document

The process is always the same no matter how many files you have. First, add all the PDFs you want to merge to the tool, either by clicking a button or by dragging the files into the browser. Then arrange them in the order in which the pages will appear in the final document. The order is not a cosmetic detail: if you are merging a quote with attachments, the attachment must come after the quote, not before it. Finally, start the merge and download the finished file.

Keep one thing in mind that people often overlook: the order is determined by files, not by individual pages. If you need only the third page from one PDF, first extract that page, then add it to the merge list. Also, if the same document contains both portrait and landscape orientation, that is perfectly fine, but check how it looks on screen before you send the document on.

What merging PDF files means and when you use it

Merging PDFs means that all pages from multiple documents are copied into one new PDF, in the order you specify. Unlike printing to PDF or scanning, the page content is not changed here: text stays text, images stay images, and links and bookmarks within documents are mostly preserved.

Typical situations where you need this:

• application documentation consisting of a form, supporting evidence and statements
• a tender with a bid, technical specification and attachments
• a contract with annexes and general terms
• scanned documents that the scanner saved as multiple separate files
• monthly reports that you want in a single annual document

With scanned documents it is especially important that all parts are scanned at the same resolution and in the same orientation, because differences in page size show up as uneven borders when the document is opened.

The most common mistakes when merging PDFs

The first and most common mistake is the wrong order. Before merging, make a short list in your head or on paper: what goes first, what second, what last. The second mistake is duplicating pages, which easily happens when you add the same file twice and do not notice it in the list. The third is merging a password protected document: such a PDF must first be unlocked, otherwise the tool cannot read its pages.

Here is a short checklist before you download the merged file:

1. Check that all files are on the list and that none was added twice.
2. Check the order, especially with documents that have numbered attachments.
3. Open the merged PDF and page through to the end, because mistakes are most often visible at the transitions between documents.
4. Check that all pages are the same size and orientation.

Expert tip: if the document is going to print or into a court file, add page numbering only after merging, on the finished file. If you number it before merging, you will get two sequences of numbers that do not match.

How to preserve document quality and security

Quality is not lost because merging does not recompress pages: content is copied as it is. Quality loss happens in other steps, for example when you scan at low resolution or when you "optimize" a PDF before merging with a tool that aggressively reduces images. That is why it is best to merge original files, not their previously compressed versions.

When it comes to confidential documents, processing in the browser means the file does not leave your computer. This matters with contracts, quotes and financial reports. However, keep in mind that security also depends on the environment: on a shared or public computer the downloaded file stays in the downloads folder, so delete it after you finish.

If your company merges and processes hundreds of PDFs every day, manual work becomes a bottleneck. EVI Solutions builds automated solutions that download, sort and merge documents on their own according to rules you define, for example by date or client name.