merging multiple pdf files into a single pdf file

[T_R_Oglodyte]

TUG is such a diverse and helpful community that my first tendency with questions like this is to put them on TUG instead of a specialist forum. I find that i get better answers faster.

So here's my situation. Right now I produce documents that are relatively complex, with transmittal letters, title pages, fly sheets, text, scanned pages. appendixes, etc.

I've been doing this for years and I've found it most effective to carve the document into discreet files, print those files, and assemble a physical document from the printouts. That physical document is extremely important, because it is the official legal document. Often there will be pages that require ink signatures, so my file produces a blank page to be signed. I print out those pages, get them signed, scan the signed document to create a record, and bind the original into the hard copy. The scan of the signed page(s) is then used in the general distribution copies.

That's all worked fine for me, but now I have clients who want to have a copy of the submittal as single searchable pdf file. It's not difficult for me to produce each of my individual files as pdfs by either saving to pdf or printing to a virtual pdf printer.

So the easiest solution would be if there is a piece of software that will allow me to merge individual pdf files into a single pdf file. I don't use Adobe except as Adobe Reader. Is what I'm looking for a feature that is available under one of the licensed versions of Adobe? Or do I need to completely rejigger how I'm doing this stuff?

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Fisch]

Adobe Acrobat Pro will allow you to do what you want.

Or if you have a scanner, you should be able to scan all pages in as a single pdf through the scanners software.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Adobe Acrobat Pro will allow you to do what you want.

Or if you have a scanner, you should be able to scan all pages in as a single pdf through the scanners software.

I was wondering if Pro did that for me, and that it was time for me to pop for that.

Scanning isn't an option because that doesn't produce a searchable unless you do OCR. And I know from painful experience that OCR isn't realistic because of the amount of time involved to inspect documents and correct OCR errors.

 

[dougef]

I have Acrobat Standard and I add and delete pages all the time. May not need pro - check out standard. Also, if you want to save a few bucks, check Amazon for an earlier version - buying the last previous version would have what you want and be cheaper.

 

[normab]

I like the way Pro does it. You can select to print all the files together into one PDF, and you can move the order around prior to doing so. If you are doing this often, Adobe Pro is the way to go in my opinion...

 

[SmithOp]

+1 for Pro, but either version will merge, try the 30 day trial.

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/merge-pdf-files.html


Sent from my iPad Gen 4 using Tapatalk HD

 

[wackymother]

I have Pro, and yes, it can do what you need. It also makes a lot of other tasks easier--you should do the free trial and see if it would be helpful to you.

 

[SMHarman]

I have Acrobat Standard and I add and delete pages all the time. May not need pro - check out standard. Also, if you want to save a few bucks, check Amazon for an earlier version - buying the last previous version would have what you want and be cheaper.

Yup, Standard does it and does it nicely.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro/buying-guide.html

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/merge-pdf-files.html

 

[dioxide45]

I use Standard at work all the time to combine multiple PDF files. I agree with dougef to look for a prior version. For this simple task, you don't need the latest and greatest.

 

[isisdave]

I use PDFTK Builder for this. It's not an elegant interface, but it works, and it's free. The Windows interface actually just calls a command line interface, so it is possible to build up your own script that will merge PDFs from various places in the order you want. See the .txt file for an explanation.

http://download.cnet.com/PDFTK-Builder/3000-18497_4-198814.html

It will also burst PDF files into one-page files, and can rotate pages.

 

[bastroum]

Nuance makes a PDF Converter that you can get on Amazon for $50 that will work. I've been using it for years without a problem.

 

[deannak]

If you have a Mac, just open both PDF's in the standard Preview application. You can easily drag & drop pages from one pdf into another, delete pages, or move them around.