MacOS – How to merge 2 one page PDF files

macospdfpreview

On Lion (from memory, and I can't check anymore) this method:

  • open a one page PDF doc2 (with Preview),
  • open a one page PDF doc1 (with Preview),
  • drag thumbnail from doc1 onto doc2,
  • save as (⌘⌥⇧S) onto doc3

was an easy way to make:

doc3 = doc1 + doc2

or in Unix talk:

cat doc1 doc2 >doc3

Apparently (fixes appreciated) since Mountain Lion this simple receipe doesn't work anymore.

What is the easy way to achieve such a basic operation for PDF files:

  • given 2 PDF documents doc1 and doc2,
  • I want to get doc3 = doc1 + doc2,
  • with as simple an application as Preview,
  • within a few seconds of click, click, click….

I need this basic function for users running Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite.

Best Answer

Open the two PDFs with Preview

Drag the thumbnails of the second PDF to the end of the first PDF but above the grey line (marked with the red arrow):

pdf1

pdf2

and finally export the resulting PDF to a third PDF.

If your first PDF contains just one page this doesn't work.

Workaround 1: Open your second PDF, then open the first PDF, drag the single page to the beginning of the second PDF and export the resulting PDF to a third PDF.

Workaround 2: Insert an empty second page at the end of the first page.

blank

blank2

and drag the second PDF to the regular end of your first PDF

blank3

delete the empty page at the end and export the remaining pages to a new third PDF.

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