In recent years, PDF files have become a standard in the computer industry, so that all operating systems allow us to open these types of files natively, without having to install third-party applications, either the Edge browser (Windows, Preview (macOS) or natively as in iOS and Android.
The possibilities offered by this format, encrypt content, protect it, avoid modifications, add fields to create forms ... are some of the reasons that have made this Adobe format the most used around the world when it comes to sharing documents.
Surely on more than one occasion, you have received several PDFs by email, and you will have thought about the reason why the sender has not been able to unite them all in the same document to make it easier and faster to view its content in a single document without forcing us to open different files.
When working with files in PDF format, we do need specific applications, since the viewers of this type of files are just that, visualizations, they do not allow us to edit the files, join files, separate pages. Fortunately, there is a solution for all these little problems and in this article we are going to show you how to join two or more PDFs into one.
PDFTKBilder (Windows)
Windows does not offer us any tool to work with files in PDF format, it only allows us to open this type of document through the Edge browser. Fortunately we have at our disposal a series of free tools that allow us to work with this file format. One of them is PDFTKBuilder.
PDFTKBulder is an application completely free open source that offers us a large number of functions that can be very useful on a day-to-day basis and that do not force us to resort to third-party applications such as:
- Join documents
- Separate documents
- Add watermarks
- Add background images
- Add numbering to pages
- Rotate files / pages
- Add passwords to PDF documents that we join.
- In addition, and as if that were not enough, it also allows us to deactivate the option of: print, print in draft, modify the content, copy content to the clipboard ...
Joining two or more files in PDF format is as simple, as opening the application, click on the Add button to select the files that we want to join and finally click on Save As.
PDFsam Basic (Windiows, macOS and Linux)
Another application that allows us to work with files in PDF format for free is PDFsam Basic, an open source application that is also available for Windows as well as for Mac and Linux, an application that allows us to perform practically the same functions as PDFTKBuilder.
- The operation of the application is very simple. Once we have executed the application, enter the options box that is displayed, we must click on To combine.
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- Next, we must drag the documents in PDF format that we want to combine to the text box. Finally, for the process to finish, click on Run.
PDFsam Basic, allows us to merge different files in PDF format, separate files by extracting pages, rotate documents and merge the sheets of different documents in the format created by Adobe. If we want to add more functions, such as editing files, inserting page numbers, converting from PDF to other formats ... this same developer offers us PDFsam Enhanced.
Preview (macOS)
Preview is the most versatile application that we can find in practically any desktop ecosystem, an application is installed natively on all Macs. This application not only allows us to edit photos, change their size, cut them, add figures ... but tIt also allows us to join two or more PDFs in one.
The first thing we must do is open the PDF file that we want to place as the first sheet / s of the final document where we are going to include two or more files in this format.
Then we select the view in Thumbnails (first drop-down button that if you place the left of the upper bar of the application). Then we drag the rest of the documents that we want to add, placing them in the order we want.
Once we have placed the files we want to join in the order we want, we go to Files and click on Export as PDF. We write the name of the final file, we establish the location we want and click on Save.
I ♥ PDF
One of the tools via the web that allows us joining two or more documents in PDF is I ♥ PDF, a website that allows us to join different files in a single resulting PDF file completely free of charge and without the need to register at any time.
- The first thing we must do is drag all the documents to the browser where we have loaded the web ILovePDF in PDF format that we want to join.
- Next, click on Join PDF.
- Finally, after a few seconds, the message Download Joined PDF will be displayed.
I ♥ PDF is one of the most complete web tools that we have at our disposal to join two or more files in PDF format, since it not only offers us this function, but also allows us to divide PDF files, delete pages, extract pages, computer pages, rotate the created documents, insert page numbers, watermarks and even edit PDF. In order to use all these tools, we have to register and pay.
Smallpdf
Another of the great tools that we have at our disposal to join two or more files in PDF format is called Smallpdf, an application that offers us an operation very similar to the one offered by ILovePDF.
Once we have added all the files that we want to combine into a single PDF file, a thumbnail of the first hour of all the documents will be displayed. To join them we must click on Combine your PDFs and download the created file.
Like IlovePDF, Smallpdf too allows us to edit the created files, rearranging the order of the pages, deleting pages that do not interest us, compressing the size of the files, converting Office files to PDF, extracting the images from a PDF to JPG, signing the files, unlocking PDF ...
It also allows us join documents directly from Dropbox or Google DriveAlthough this function requires, like the one that allows us to edit files in PDF format, it requires a fairly expensive subscription.