Splitting and Merging PDFs Without Adobe
Extract pages, combine documents, rearrange content. No subscription required.
You have a 100-page PDF. You need pages 15-20. Or you have five separate PDFs that should be one document.
Adobe wants $15/month for this. You don't need Adobe.
Splitting PDFs
Extract specific pages. Pull out just the pages you need. A report's executive summary, a contract's signature page, the one form from a packet.
Split by page ranges. Pages 1-10 become one file, 11-20 become another.
Split into individual pages. Every page becomes its own PDF.
When to Split
Sharing portions. Send only relevant pages, not the whole document.
File size management. Large PDFs split into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Reordering content. Split, then merge in new order.
Removing pages. Extract what you want, discard the rest.
Merging PDFs
Combine documents. Multiple contracts into one file. Separate scans into one document.
Append pages. Add a cover page, insert an addendum, attach an appendix.
Consolidate reports. Monthly reports into quarterly, quarterly into annual.
When to Merge
Creating packets. Multiple related documents as one submission.
Archiving. Related documents stored together.
Presentation. One cohesive document instead of multiple attachments.
Printing. One print job instead of many.
Order Matters
When merging, document order is the final page order. First document's pages come first, then second document's pages, and so on.
Plan the sequence before merging. Rearranging after is another operation.
What Stays, What Goes
Preserved: Text, images, formatting, basic structure.
Sometimes lost: Bookmarks, hyperlinks, form fields, annotations (depends on the tool).
Usually lost: Edit history, document properties, certain security features.
For simple documents, this rarely matters. For complex forms or secured documents, test with a copy first.
File Size Considerations
Merging doesn't always produce a file equal to the sum of the parts. Some overhead exists, and redundant resources (like embedded fonts) might not deduplicate perfectly.
Splitting similarly doesn't divide file size evenly. Shared resources get duplicated in each output file.
For most uses, this overhead is negligible. For very large documents or constrained storage, it's worth checking.
Practical Workflows
Application packet: Merge resume + cover letter + references + portfolio samples.
Contract execution: Split to signature page, sign, merge back.
Report distribution: Split full report into departmental sections.
Archive organization: Merge related invoices/receipts by month or project.
Security Notes
Splitting a secured PDF may fail or produce unsecured output, depending on the restrictions and tool.
Merging encrypted documents requires all source files to be unlocked first.
If document security matters, verify that your split/merge process maintains appropriate protections.
PDF manipulation doesn't require expensive software. Split to extract, merge to combine, and handle documents the way you need without subscription fees.