Combining multiple documents into a single PDF

In many instances the local rules permit or require filers to merge several documents into a single PDF document for filing purposes. If all the documents to be merged are PDFs, follow the instructions immediately below to make a single PDF from several PDFs. If all the documents to be merged are not PDFs (e.g., print documents), see the directions at the bottom of this page. All of these instructions apply only to Adobe Acrobat Professional and Standard. A Filing User utilizing other software to create PDFs must follow the software vendor's instructions for creating a single PDF from multiple PDFs.

Making a single PDF from several PDFs

1. Open Adobe Acrobat Professional and click on Combine > Merge Files into a Single PDF....

2. In the new window click on Add Files... > Add Files...

3. Select each file to be merged by clicking on the file name. Holding down the Shift or Ctrl key when clicking on a file name permits a Filing User to add more than one file at a time. When finished selecting file names, click the Add Files button at the bottom of the dialog box.

4. The selected files now appear in the Combine Files window in Adobe Acrobat Professional.

5. To change the order in which the files appear in the merged document, highlight the name of the file to appear first then click the Move Up button to move that file to the top of the list.

6. Once all the files are in the proper position on the list, click the Combine Files button.

7. A new PDF of the merged documents in the selected order is created, and a dialog box opens for renaming and saving the new multi-file PDF.

Combining multiple documents in multiple formats into a single PDF

If a Filing User wishes to combine documents that currently exist in various formats into a single PDF, the easiest process is to print out all the documents and scan them into a single document from a scanner that creates text-searchable PDFs. Before filing the PDF in CM/ECF, the filer must verify that the resulting PDF is is text-searchable and properly paginated.

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Last modified at 8/30/2010