Utilities: Merge Multiple PDFs

All system report previews can be saved as PDF (Portable Document Format) files. These files are the de facto standard for sharing formatted report information with others, regardless of their computing platform. A common practice is to attach one or more PDF files to an email message. If a large number of reports needs to be sent via email, it would be convenient if they could all be merged into one large PDF file.

This procedure allows the user to select any number of existing PDF files and merge them into one larger PDF file. When the option is selected from the Utilities menu, the following window will come into view:

PDF Files to be Merged

This is a list of the PDF files the user has selected for merging into one file. The files can come from multiple locations.

Adding and Removing Files from the List

Files can be added to the list using two different methods. Use whichever method is most convenient.

Add (button)

Click this button and a standard File Selection dialog box will appear. Navigate to the desired folder and highlight one or more PDF files, then click the Open button. The selected PDF files will now appear in the list box. This button can be pressed and more PDF files added as many times as needed.

Drag and Drop from Windows Explorer

The second method of adding files to the list is to drag them from an open Windows Explorer window and drop them into the list box. Once again, highlight as many PDFs as desired, click one one of the highlighted PDF files, holding the mouse button down while dragging the cursor to hover over the PDF Files to be Merged list box. When the mouse button is released, the highlighted PDF files will appear in the list box.

Remove (button)

Click this button to remove the highlighted PDF file from the list box.

Move Up / Down (buttons)

When the new PDF file is created, all the PDFs in the list box will be together in one file. The user may have a preference as to the order in which these files should appear. Use the Move Up, Move Down, Move Top and Move Bottom buttons to place the files in the desired order.

Merge Files and Display New PDF (button)

Click this button to merge all the files in the list box into one larger PDF file. The system will open a standard File Save dialog box. Navigate to the desired folder and provide a file name, then click the Save button. The new PDF file will be created and opened immediately for inspection.