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How to merge PDF files on Mac

To merge PDF files on Mac you don’t need extra software: Preview, which comes with every Mac, joins PDFs, moves pages between them and deletes the ones you don’t need. Finder can also turn several files into one PDF in two clicks.

How to merge PDF files on Mac in Preview

Preview saves changes to a document on its own. To keep the original PDFs as they are, work on a copy, as in step 2.

  1. Double-click the PDF that should come first. PDFs open in Preview unless you have chosen another app for them.
  2. Choose File › Duplicate. A copy opens in a new window. Work in it, and the original file stays untouched.
Preview’s File menu with «Duplicate»
  1. Choose View › Thumbnails to show the pages in the sidebar.
Preview with page thumbnails in the sidebar
  1. Drag the second PDF’s icon from Finder into the sidebar: between two pages or after the last one. All its pages go in.
  2. Drag thumbnails up or down to change the order. To remove a page, select it and press Delete.
  3. Choose File › Save (Command-S), give the merged file a name and click Save.

Insert a PDF with the menu

If dragging is awkward, Preview adds a file through its menu. The new pages go after the selected one.

  1. In the sidebar, select the page after which the other PDF should go.
  2. Choose Edit › Insert › Page from File.
Preview: Edit › Insert › Page from File or Blank Page
  1. Select the PDF and click Open.
Choosing the PDF to insert, with the Open button

The same command is under the Add button at the bottom of the sidebar: Insert from File. There you can also add a blank page.

Merge only some pages

  1. Open both PDFs in Preview and choose View › Thumbnails in each window.
  2. In one window, select the pages you need. Command-click to pick pages that aren’t next to each other.
  3. Drag them into the sidebar of the other window, to the place where they should go.

If you drag the selected thumbnails to the desktop instead, Preview makes a new PDF from just those pages.

Combine files into one PDF in Finder

Finder makes one PDF from several PDFs or images without opening any app.

  1. Select the files in a Finder window or on the desktop. Click the first one, then Command-click the others in the order you want.
  2. Control-click one of the selected files and choose Quick Actions › Create PDF.

The pages go in the order you selected the files, and the new PDF gets a name like the first file’s. The original files stay as they are.

The same Create PDF button is at the bottom of the Finder preview pane. If you don’t see the pane, choose View › Show Preview.

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MacWashing doesn’t work with PDFs: Preview does this job well. If your Mac is short of space, System Junk clears app caches, logs and leftovers of deleted apps, and anything debatable stays unchecked until you decide.

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Questions and answers

How to merge PDF on Mac without installing anything?

Use Preview: open the first PDF, choose View › Thumbnails and drag the second PDF into the sidebar. Or select the files in Finder and choose Quick Actions › Create PDF.

Will merging change my original PDFs?

In Preview, yes: it saves changes to the open file on its own. Choose File › Duplicate first to work on a copy. Finder’s Create PDF makes a new file and leaves the originals alone.

How do I change the order of pages after merging?

Open the PDF in Preview, choose View › Thumbnails and drag the thumbnails into the order you want.