How to Easily Combine PDFs in Preview on Mac

Part 1: How to Combine pdfs in Preview (Built‑in macOS App)

Merging pdf files on a Mac is quick and easy using the built-in Preview app. It helps you combine entire pdfs or specific pages without installing anything new. Whether you're preparing work reports, scanned forms, or school notes, Preview can handle the job in just a few steps.

What You Need to Prepare

• A Mac running macOS
• Two or more pdf files to combine
• Basic use of Finder and Preview apps

Time It Takes

About 3-7 minutes

Steps of how to combine preview files into one pdf

• Open Your pdfs in Preview

  Go to the Finder and locate the pdf files you want to merge. Select them while holding the Command key, then right-click and choose Open With > Preview.

• Turn on Thumbnails View

  In each opened pdf, click View > Thumbnails. This will show page previews in the sidebar.


• Rearrange and Combine Pages

  Drag the page thumbnails from one pdf into the sidebar of the other. You can place them at the end or between pages. To select multiple pages, hold Command and click each one.

• Merge Entire pdfs (Optional)

  To add a full pdf file into another, drag its file icon directly into the sidebar of the open pdf.

• Create a New Combined File

  Once pages are in the correct order, click Edit > Select All, then Edit > Copy. Now go to File > New From Clipboard to create a new merged document.

• Save the Combined pdf

  Click File > Save, name your new file, choose a location, and hit Save.

Note:

Preview works great for basic merging, but it doesn't offer editing, image adjustments, or file conversions. If you need more advanced features like rearranging images, compressing file size, or converting pdfs Tenorshare PDNob is a simple tool that can help with that.

Part 2: How to Combine PDFs Using Finder (Built-in Tool)

Merging pdf documents on your Mac is quick and easy with Finder and Preview. This built-in method requires no extra software and works well for combining multiple pdfs stored in one place.

What You Need to Prepare:

• A Mac with Preview installed
• All pdf documents saved in the same folder

Time It Takes:3–10 minutes

Steps: How to combine pdf documents in preview

• Open Finder and locate the pdf documents you want to merge.
• Select all files by holding the Command key and clicking each file.
• Right-click and select Open With > Preview.
  
• All selected pdfs will open together in one Preview window with thumbnails on the left.
• To reorder pages, drag and drop thumbnails to the correct sequence.
• Click File > Export as PDF, name your file, choose a save location, and click Save.

Part 3: How to Combine Multiple pdfs in Preview Alternative

While Preview is a helpful built-in tool on macOS, it lacks advanced control and editing features. If you frequently work with pdf files combining, editing, compressing, or customizing, Tenorshare PDNob is a powerful and user-friendly alternative you can rely on.

It's especially useful when dealing with large files or more complex editing needs that Preview simply can’t handle.

Whether you're managing scanned documents, project reports, or batches of images, PDNob gives you greater precision, speed, and flexibility without any technical skills required.

Features:

• Combine multiple pdfs into one seamlessly
• Compress pdfs without losing image or text quality
• Rearrange, split, and delete pdf pages with ease
• Add annotations, watermarks, and digital signatures
• Convert images (JPG/PNG) or Word/Excel files into pdf
• Built-in OCR for scanned pdfs and image-based text
• Save or export pdfs optimized for email, print, or archiving

Steps: How to combine pdfs on mac Using Tenorshare PDNob

• Open Tenorshare PDNob

  Launch the software on your PC. On the main interface, you’ll see several tools. Click on “Batch Tools” to access more advanced options.


• Select the Merge Option

  From the batch tools section, click on “Merge” to begin combining your pdf files.


• Add Your PDF Files

  Click “Add Files” and choose all the pdf documents you want to merge. You can add two or more files depending on your need. Once added, click “Merge.”


• Preview and Edit Before Saving

  Before finalizing, PDNob gives you a full preview of the merged file. You can reorder pages, add text, highlight content, insert images, or even split sections everything you need to customize your final document.


• Save the Combined PDF

  Once you're satisfied with the result, click “Save” or “Save As” to store the merged pdf on your PC. Choose your location and file name, and you're done.

More Powerful Features That Set PDNob Apart

• Batch conversion and merging for large projects
• Advanced security tools: encryption, password protection
• Smart compress to reduce file size while keeping clarity
• Works across Windows and macOS
• Clean, intuitive interface designed for speed and ease

Part 4: How to Combine pdf Documents on Mac Using PDFsam Basic (Free & Offline)

Combining pdf documents on a Mac can be simple and efficient with the right tools. PDFsam Basic is a free, open-source, and offline software designed specifically for tasks like merging, splitting, and rearranging pdf files. Before you start, make sure your Mac meets the requirements below to ensure a smooth process.

What You Need to Prepare:

• A Mac device with macOS installed
• Java installed on your system (PDFsam requires it)
• Free PDFsam Basic software

Time It Takes:

5–10 minutes depending on file size and number of pdfs

Steps: How to combine pdf documents mac

• Install and Launch PDFsam Basic

  Download and install the free version of PDFsam Basic from the official site. Open the software to get started.

• Choose “Merge” Module

  From the main dashboard, click on the “Merge” tool. This is specifically designed to combine multiple pdfs into one.

• Add Your PDF Files

  Drag and drop your pdf documents into the tool. You can also click “Add” to browse and select files from your Mac.


• Arrange File Order

  Reorder the pdfs by dragging them up or down in the list to ensure they appear in your desired sequence in the final merged file.

• Set File Name and Destination

  Choose a name for your combined pdf and select where you'd like to save it on your Mac.

• Click “Run” to Combine

  Once everything is set, click “Run.” PDFsam will combine the files into one clean, organized document.

Quick Tip: Use Preview — But Know Its Limits

Preview makes it easy to merge pdfs on a Mac. It’s built-in, free, and works well for basic tasks. You can combine files, reorder pages, and make small edits without needing extra software. However, it’s not designed for large files or advanced editing.

For more control of how to merge pdfs on mac, a tool like Tenorshare PDNob is a better choice. It gives you powerful features while keeping things simple for everyday use.

Use Preview when:

• You’re merging just a few pdf files
• You only need light edits
• You prefer a built-in tool without downloading anything

Use Tenorshare PDNob when:

• You’re handling big files or lots of documents
• You need to add text, images, or highlights
• You want to compress, split, or convert your pdf
• You need an all-in-one editor that’s easy to use

FAQs about How to Combine pdfs in Preview

1. How do I merge multiple pdfs into one?

Open all the pdf files in Preview. Show thumbnails from the “View” menu. Drag pages from one file to another. Then go to “File” > “Save” to keep them together.

2. What are common issues when merging pdfs?

Some pages may not show if thumbnails are hidden. Files may not save properly if changes aren’t saved. Also, Preview may slow down with very large pdfs.

Final Thoughts

Preview is a simple and free tool that comes with every Mac, making it easy how to combine pdfs in preview without extra software. It works well for basic tasks like merging a few documents quickly.

However, if you need more features like editing, rearranging pages, or handling large files, tools like Tenorshare PDNob offer a more powerful and user-friendly experience. For reliable and efficient pdf management, PDNob is a great choice to consider.

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