In this article, we’ll take you through how to add, remove, and combine PDF pages in Apple Preview.
How to Add and Remove Pages to PDFs in Apple Preview
Adding pages to a PDF in Apple Preview is as simple as dragging and dropping.
First, you’ll want to duplicate the PDF you’re looking to add the pages to. Doing this will give you a backup of the original, and a quick way to go back if you decide not to keep your changes, or you need to start over.
Next, open the file in Apple Preview and turn Thumbnails on in your sidebar. These small images in the sidebar help you navigate the document and act as somewhat of a drag and drop editor.
Once you have them switched on, scroll to find the section you’d like to add a page, locate the page in your Mac’s Finder, and drag and drop the file into the sidebar as you’d like it to appear.
This works for PDFs and image files. Keep in mind, Preview will resize and center images to fit the rest of the document, but other PDFs keep their original size.
Note: you can also edit your image right in Preview before adding in. Additionally, if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can save and edit photos as PDFs right on your device as well.
As you’re working in Apple Preview on your Mac, you can also remove a page from your PDF, click the thumbnail, and press Delete on your keyboard.
How to Combine PDFs in Apple Preview
Maybe you’ve scanned some documents with your phone, or you need to combine multiple PDFs into one file. Whatever the case, Apple Preview makes this a cinch.
The steps here are similar to adding a page to your PDF. You’ll want to duplicate your file, open it in Preview, and turn on thumbnails. Next, drag the PDF file you’d like to combine into the sidebar. Now your pages will appear as thumbnails which you can rearrange by dragging and dropping.
As in any other editor, be sure to save your document as you make changes.
Apple Preview Is More Than Just Good Looks
You no longer need to pay extra for a PDF editor to add, remove, or combine pages. If you own a Mac, the solution is built right into your computer.
Next time you need to make some quick changes to a PDF, give Apple Preview a try.
