How to combine or split PDFs

Learn how to change pages in a PDF - add, append, insert, remove, reorder, rotate, split, combine, join.

Using pdfMachine you can add or remove pages to an existing PDF. You can also rearrange the page order. pdfMachine can join PDFs into a single PDF. pdfMachine can be used to split a PDF into separate PDFs.

  • To add pages from an existing PDF (merging PDFs), read here
  • To add pages from a document that is not a PDF (eg a Word document), read here
  • To add pages from paper, read here
  • To remove pages, read here
  • To reorder pages, read here
  • To rotate pages, read here
  • To split the PDF into separate PDFs, read here

How to combine and merge existing PDFs together

- or how to add pages from one PDF to another PDF

  1. Start with the PDF (from which you wish to add to or remove pages) open in pdfMachine.
    This may be one you have just created using pdfMachine or a PDF that you already have. You can open an existing PDF by right-clicking on the PDF in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with pdfMachine" or by opening pdfMachine from the Start menu and using the Open menu item.
  2. Select Edit from the pdfMachine toolbar
  3. In the thumbnail view, click on the thumbnail of the page where you want to insert/append pages.
  4. From the pdfMachine menu select Pages->Insert Pages from file (or Append Pages from file).
  5. Select the PDF(s) you wish to insert/append and click open.
  6. If there are any pages that you do not want you can now click on them and press the delete key to delete them. Or you can drag and drop the pages to move them to a different order in the PDF.
  7. Select Save As to save the PDF as a new name.

How to append pages to a PDF from a document that is not PDF or paper

  1. Start with the PDF you wish to add the additional pages to open in pdfMachine.
    This may be one you have just created using pdfMachine or a PDF that you already have. You can open an existing PDF by right-clicking on the PDF in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with pdfMachine" or by opening pdfMachine from the Start menu and using the Open menu item.
  2. Click Options from the menu, select the General tab and make sure that the checkbox 'Auto append to PDF open in viewer' is checked. Close the Options window. You only need to do this step if you are not sure whether you have that option checked.
  3. Open the document to be appended
  4. Print the document to pdfMachine, or use the pdfMachine Office addin to create the PDF.
  5. The document is appended as additional pages to the PDF open in pdfMachine.
  6. In pdfMachine, select Save As to save the PDF as a new name.

How to append paper pages to a PDF (using a scanner)

  1. Start with the PDF you wish to add the scanned pages to open in pdfMachine.
    This may be one you have just created using pdfMachine or a PDF that you already have. You can open an existing PDF by right-clicking on the PDF in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with pdfMachine" or by opening pdfMachine from the Start menu and using the Open menu item.
  2. Place your paper in the scanner
  3. Select Edit->Append Pages From Scanner from the pdfMachine toolbar
  4. Follow the scan wizard to scan the paper page(s). Read more here.
  5. The scanned document is appended as additional pages to the PDF open in pdfMachine.
  6. Select Save As to save the PDF as a new name.

How to remove pages from a PDF

  1. Start with the PDF from which you wish to remove the page open in pdfMachine.
    This may be one you have just created using pdfMachine or a PDF that you already have. You can open an existing PDF by right-clicking on the PDF in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with pdfMachine" or by opening pdfMachine from the Start menu and using the Open menu item.
  2. Select Edit from the pdfMachine toolbar
  3. In the thumbnail view, click on the thumbnail of the page you want to delete.
  4. If there is a range of pages to delete then shift-click the thumbnail of the page at the end of the range.
  5. Press the delete key or select Pages->Delete from the pdfMachine menu.
  6. The page will be deleted from the PDF.
  7. Select Save to save the PDF.

How to reorder pages in a PDF

  1. Start with the PDF you wish to reorder pages in open in pdfMachine.
    This may be one you have just created using pdfMachine or a PDF that you already have. You can open an existing PDF by right-clicking on the PDF in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with pdfMachine" or by opening pdfMachine from the Start menu and using the Open menu item.
  2. Select Edit from the pdfMachine toolbar
  3. In the thumbnail view, click on the thumbnail of the page you want to move.
  4. If there is a range of pages to move then shift-click the thumbnail of the page at the end of the range.
  5. Drag and drop the pages to the new position. If you drop to the left of the thumbnail you will move the page(s) before that page. If you drop to the right of the thumbnail you will move the page(s) after that page.
  6. Select Save to save the PDF.

How to rotate pages in a PDF

  1. Start with the PDF you wish to rotate pages in open in pdfMachine.
    This may be one you have just created using pdfMachine or a PDF that you already have. You can open an existing PDF by right-clicking on the PDF in Windows Explorer and selecting "Open with pdfMachine" or by opening pdfMachine from the Start menu and using the Open menu item.
  2. Select Edit from the pdfMachine toolbar
  3. If you want to rotate all of the pages select the Rotate->Document menu and choose Right, Left or Flip
  4. To rotate individual pages in the thumbnail view, click on the thumbnail of the page you want to rotate.
  5. If there is a range of pages to rotate then shift-click the thumbnail of the page at the end of the range.
  6. Select the Rotate->Page menu and choose Right, Left or Flip.
  7. Select Save to save the PDF.

Split a PDF into separate PDFs

To split a PDF into two separate PDFs

Use the "File->Split PDF command" to split a PDF at a certain point. Read here.

The PDF is divided into two separate PDFs at the selected page.

To split the PDF into more than two PDFs

Use the "File->Split PDF into many PDFs" command to split a PDF into many PDFs at once. Read here.

The Split PDF functionality allows you to split or 'explode' a PDF into smaller PDFs. You can select the number of pages to split at. The filenames are customizable.