Having trouble combining PDF files? We look at the top reason why users are unable to combine PDF files into one document.
The PDF file format has established itself as a vital format for everything from business proposals to official court documents. Sometimes, these workflows would be made a whole lot easier if there was a way to combine files into one professional document.
That means more and more people are using PDFs for their important documents, and with that trend comes a host of questions and issues as users try to manipulate and process their PDF files – specifically about how to combine PDF files.
Try Soda PDF’s easy-to-use FREE online tool, PDF Merge, to quickly combine multiple documents into a single PDF.
One of the top questions a user asks about PDFs is “Why am I unable to combine PDF files?” This question one of the most searched questions relating to PDFs on the internet. People are searching for answers and that’s why we’ve dedicated this article to show you how to combine PDF files without error.
Therefore, you should know that Soda PDF’s FREE online tool, Merge PDF, is the answer you’ve been looking for. That’s right, you can end the search and start combining files into one PDF directly from your web browser in a matter of seconds! You can even rearrange pages or the order of the documents in which you would like them to appear in the PDF.
Combining files into one document has never been easier thanks to Soda PDF’s easy-to-use online tool solution: Merge PDF!
Why would I need to combine files?
A typical case sounds something like this: several professional colleagues are working on a group project, and they’ve all done work separately in PDF format. Now they want to combine their files into one report.
However, they don’t know how to combine or merge their respective PDF documents. They hit the internet looking for PDF tips and suggestions on how to combine their files into one combined PDF document.
So what is the top reason who you can’t combine PDF files into one single PDF document?
The PDF is Secured
PDF files can be combined either secured or unsecured. A secured PDF file means that it is protected with a password. If you want to combine multiple secured PDF files, the process is a bit tricky.
Want to secure your PDF documents? Try Soda PDF’s online tool to Password Protect PDF.
How to merge unsecured PDF files with Soda PDF
- Open your software or visit the Soda PDF website and look at the main navigation menu.
- Click on the Tools menu and select Merge PDF.
- Click the button to add the files you want to merge in your PDF – you can also drag and drop files or or reorder each page.
- Click on the Merge Files button
- Finally, click on the Save button
Note that if your total file size exceeds 2 GB, the process will not work in popular professional apps like Adobe Acrobat. You can get around this by first compressing your individual PDF files in order to make them take up less space. After that, you can go ahead and combine files. Hopefully, you’ll end up with a PDF file that’s less than 2 GB.
Looking for a simple way to compress your PDF documents? Try Soda PDF’s online Compress PDF tool!
How to merge secured PDF files in Adobe Acrobat
If your PDF files are secured, you’ll need to know their passwords. If you try to combine files which are secured (password protected) in Adobe Acrobat for example, you will be asked for the permission password when you click on the Combine PDF files button.
Otherwise, the process is the same in Adobe Acrobat as for unsecured PDF files. You can use the desktop version to combine files easily. If you don’t enter a password when prompted, you won’t be able to complete the PDF merging process and you will get an error message. In this case, if you don’t have the password, even Adobe Acrobat won’t work to combine files. This is where third-party software to combine multiple PDF documents comes into play.
If you’re having trouble merging protected (secured) PDF documents, you might want to remove the security you combine files into one. If you don’t know the password, however, you need to find a way to decrypt the file before you combine files.
With special software, you can simply remove the security from the PDF documents without needing to enter the password. If you simply add the secured files, the software will decrypt them before allowing you to combine files. It will then create a new password-free combined file.
Such applications are designed to remove restrictions on edit, printing, copying, and such from your PDF files. In some cases, if the file is secured with a password, you’ll be asked to enter it, and once you do, the file will become unsecured and password-free. You can also try using Soda PDF’s Unlock PDF online tool to try and open a password-protected PDF.
Note that you can run Soda PDF Desktop on any Windows machine and combine files with ease. If you’re a MAC user, we recommend using Soda PDF Online instead.
Remember that Adobe Acrobat is unable to combine PDF files if the total file size is larger than 2 GB. To overcome this limit, we suggest using tools like Soda PDF in order to merge or split your PDF files. Soda PDF has an Online or Desktop app, both of which are easy to use for combining multiple files into one.
If you have removed security restrictions from your files, you’ll be able to easily combine or split your PDF files using an online tool like Soda PDF. You’ll also enjoy no limits on your document sizes when performing the merge function.
Remember that with an online tool like Soda PDF, you can perform multiple functions related to your PDF files, such as split, merge, edit, save and more – all in one place, and in your browser window. If you prefer, you could download the desktop version of Soda PDF as well.
This will allow you to work locally, even if you don’t have an internet connection. You’ll be able to open the app and combine files of any size with ease. You can even bring in a document from Google Drive or Dropbox and save it in Soda PDF before combining it with other documents. You can create and save it right on your computer.
Use Soda PDF for all your document needs!
If you’re managing large batches of multiple PDF files, you’re going to want to merge them together – it’s just a smart way to work. However, as we’ve seen, users are often at a loss when it comes to combining files into one document, especially if their PDF files are secured with a password.
Use Soda PDF for all your document needs. Soda PDF has been a document management industry leader for over a decade and we’re a popular, cost-effective alternative to Adobe Acrobat.
Our online tools can be accessed from any web browser on any device, and if you’re looking for a fully-featured software solution that has all these powerful PDF tools, you’ll want to try Soda PDF Desktop or Soda PDF Online.