This tutorial shows how to combine files into one PDF in Adobe Acrobat
[Typewriter sounds]
Hello, my name is Erin.
I’m a technical writer and editor who shares easy-to-follow software tutorials
and writing tips for the real world on this channel and on my blog at erinwrightwriting.com.
One of Adobe Acrobat’s most convenient features lets you combine files into one PDF.
Best of all, the files don’t have to be other PDFs.
You can combine nearly any file, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or an image,
as long as you have the corresponding software on your computer.
This tutorial walks through all the steps to combine files.
Plus, the bonus section at the end shows how to organize and delete pages after combining the files.
Please note that the files you combine will be converted to the PDF format.
So, files with interactive properties, such as Excel files, will be “flattened” to a text format.
However, the original file will not be affected.
I’ll be using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
The steps are the same in Acrobat Standard DC, Acrobat 2020, and Acrobat 2017.
Adobe’s free PDF software, Acrobat Reader, doesn't have a tool for combining files.
To begin combining files, select the Tools tab.
Then, select the Combine Files button in the Tools Center.
Next select the Add Files button.
And then navigate to the first file you want to add in the Add Files dialog box.
PC users can select multiple files within the same folder by pressing the Ctrl key while selecting additional files.
Once you’ve made your selection, select the Open button.
Your files will appear in the Combine Files screen.
If you have addition files to add, select the Add Files button in the toolbar
followed by Add Files from the drop-down menu.
And then choose files from the Add Files dialog box as we just did.
Once you’ve selected your files, you can remove and reorder pages before finalizing the combination process.
To begin, double-click the file to expand the pages.
Then, select pages you want to remove and select the Delete button.
You can reorder pages by dragging them into a different position within the expanded view.
Select the Collapse button when you are finished working within an individual file.
When you’re ready to combine your files, select the Combine button in the Combine Files toolbar.
The process may take several minutes depending on file sizes.
When it’s finished, you can select the Page Thumbnails button to see all the pages in your newly created PDF,
which will be called binder1, binder2, etc.
If you want to the save your PDF under another name, select the File tab followed by Save As
and then complete the saving process as you normally would.
In the next section, we will organize and delete pages after combining the files.
This method for organizing pages after combing files can also be used regular, non-combined PDFs.
To begin, select the Tools tab.
Then, select the Organize Pages button in the Tools Center.
From here, you can select and drag pages to new positions.
You can also select pages and then select the Delete button to remove them.
When you’re finished, select the Close button in the Organize Pages toolbar.
As always, save your PDF to save your changes.
I have created many other videos about Adobe Acrobat, including “How to Redact PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Pro”
and “How to Create a Blank PDF in Adobe Acrobat.”
Please see the playlist called “How to Use Adobe Acrobat”
linked in the description box below for the complete list.
The companion blog post for this video listing all the steps we just performed
appears on erinwrightwriting.com, which is also linked below.
Feel free to leave me a comment if there’s a specific topic related to Adobe Acrobat
or Microsoft Word that you would like me to talk about in the future.
And please subscribe to my channel and give this video a thumbs-up if you found it helpful.
Thank you so much for watching!
[Typewriter sounds]