Merging, Splitting and Organising PDFs: A Practical Guide
PDFs are everywhere, but changing them is awkward. Whether you are assembling an application, sending only the relevant pages of a report, or fixing a scan that is upside down, a few simple operations cover nearly every need. This guide explains each one and how to do it privately in your browser.
Merging: combine several files into one
Use the Merge PDF tool when documents must be submitted as a single file, for example an ID copy, a certificate and a form. Add the files, arrange them with the arrows and download the result. The pages inside each file keep their order. Name your files with numbers (01, 02, 03) before uploading so the list is already in the right order.
Splitting: pull out only what you need
The Split PDF tool understands page ranges. The expression 2-3,5,7-8,9 selects pages 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9. You can send the selection as one PDF, split each range into its own file, save each page separately, remove the selected pages and keep the rest, or cut a long document every N pages. Click the page previews if you prefer to choose visually, and use Odd pages, Even pages or Invert for quick selections.
Rotating and removing pages
Scans often come out sideways or contain blank pages. In the PDF Organizer you can rotate any page by 90 degrees and mark pages for removal. Nothing changes until you export, so you can undo in the preview.
Reordering and duplicating
If pages were scanned in the wrong order, Reorder and Duplicate lets you drag thumbnails into place, copy a page that must appear twice, or insert a blank page, which is handy before double-sided printing.
Tidying up the result
- Add numbers with PDF Page Numbers, choosing a format such as "1 of N" so missing pages are obvious.
- Trim wide margins on scans with Crop PDF.
- Reduce size with Compress PDF, remembering that it turns pages into images and makes text unselectable.
- Remove personal details such as author names with the Metadata Editor.
Tips
- Printed page numbers and PDF page positions can differ because of cover pages. Check the preview before typing a range.
- Keep the original file. Every tool creates a new copy, but you may want to start over.
- Password-protected PDFs must be unlocked first with the password you were given.
All of these tools process files locally, so confidential documents are not uploaded to a server.