How to merge PDF files
Job applications, expense claims and tenancy files all end the same way: please send everything as a single PDF. Joining them takes seconds and should not cost anything.
Add all the PDFs, drag them into the order you want, and merge. You get one document with the pages in that order; the originals are untouched, and nothing is uploaded.
Merge PDFs for freeStep by step
- Add your files
Drop them all at once, or add them one at a time. There is no limit on how many you combine.
- Put them in order
Drag the files up and down the list. The order in the list is the order of the final document.
- Merge
One press joins the pages, keeping their original size and quality.
- Download
The merged PDF is saved to your device, and your source files are left exactly as they were.
Merging things that are not PDFs yet
Photographs, Word documents and spreadsheets have to become PDFs before they can be joined. Convert each one first, then merge the results — the conversion tools are free as well.
It is worth converting rather than screenshotting: a converted page keeps selectable text, which the person reading your file will thank you for.
Keeping the result small enough to send
Merging compresses nothing: ten files of two megabytes make one file of twenty. If the result is too heavy for an email, compress it afterwards rather than accepting a lower quality up front.
Compressing once at the end also gives a more even result than compressing each piece separately.
Order, cover pages and appendices
You can reorder pages afterwards in the editor, but it is quicker to get the order right in the list first.
The common pattern — cover letter, CV, then supporting documents — is simply three files added in that order.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a limit on the number of files?
No fixed limit. Very large documents are bounded only by the memory of your device, since the work happens there rather than on a server.
Will merging reduce the quality?
No. Pages are copied as they are, with their fonts and images intact. A merged PDF is exactly as good as the files it came from.
Can I merge only some pages of a file?
Split the file first to keep the pages you want, then merge the pieces. Both tools are free and work the same way.