Applications, contracts, invoices and reports often arrive as separate PDFs, but whoever receives them wants one tidy file. Merging, splitting and compressing PDFs are some of the most common office jobs, and you don't need expensive software or an upload of sensitive documents to some unknown site.
Key points
- Use browser-based tools like our merge PDF so files never leave your device.
- Put pages in order before merging, then compress.
- Check the result page by page before sending.
- Protect sensitive files with a password and share it separately.
Merge in four steps
- Open the merge PDF tool.
- Add the files, or drag and drop them in.
- Drag them into the right order.
- Click merge and download.
It all happens in your browser, which matters for CVs with ID numbers, bank statements, medical forms and contracts.
Other PDF jobs
| Task | Tool | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Combine files | Merge PDF | Application packs, reports, scanned receipts |
| Extract or split pages | Split PDF | Send only the relevant pages |
| Reorder, rotate, delete pages | Organise PDF | Fix an upside-down or mis-ordered scan |
| Reduce file size | Compress PDF | Email and form upload limits |
| Images to PDF | Image to PDF | Turn photos of documents into one file |
| PDF to images | PDF to images | Share a page on social media |
| Add a password | Protect PDF | Send confidential documents |
| Watermark or page numbers | Watermark, page numbers | Drafts, reports, legal packs |
A tidy workflow for application packs
- Turn photos and scans into PDFs with Image to PDF.
- Fix orientation and order with Organise PDF.
- Merge everything into one.
- Add page numbers.
- Compress to stay under the upload limit.
- Name it clearly: Firstname-Lastname-Application-2026.pdf.
Keeping PDFs small
- Scan text documents at 150 to 200 dpi. 300 is rarely needed.
- Scan text pages in black and white.
- Compress images before they go into the PDF, see how to compress images.
- Remove unused pages and embedded fonts if your editor allows.
- Use the compress tool as the last step.
Scanned PDFs and text recognition
A scan is a picture of text, so you can't search or copy it. OCR (optical character recognition) pulls the text out. Our image to text tool reads text from images in your browser. Always check the result, because OCR can misread small print and handwriting.
Security checklist
- Don't upload IDs, bank statements or contracts to unknown websites.
- Add an open password for confidential files and send it separately (phone, or a different messaging app).
- Remove hidden metadata like author name if privacy matters.
- Delete temporary copies from shared computers.
- Be careful with PDF attachments from strangers. They can carry phishing links. See how to spot phishing emails.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Merged file is huge | Compress it, and rescan at lower resolution. |
| Pages in the wrong order | Reorder with the organise tool, then merge again. |
| A page is sideways | Rotate it in the organise tool. |
| A password-protected file won't merge | Remove the password if you own it, then merge. |
| A form stops working after merging | Merging can flatten interactive forms. Fill them first. |
A document workflow for your business?
If you handle lots of PDFs (invoices, contracts, reports) you can automate generating, merging and sending them. See workflow automation ROI or talk to our team about a custom tool.
