---
title: "How to combine PDFs on a Mac - PaneStack"
description: "How to combine PDFs and pictures into one PDF on a Mac, in the order you choose, and make scanned PDFs searchable, with PaneStack's PDF tools."
canonical: https://panestack.app/combine-pdfs-mac.html
---

# How to combine PDFs on a Mac

Select the PDFs, and combine them into one file. Finder can do it in a single step; PaneStack lets you set the order first, mix in pictures, and take it back with ⌘Z.

## In Finder

1. Select the PDFs.
2. Right-click › **Quick Actions › Create PDF**.

There's no step to put the files in order first.

## In PaneStack

1. Select the PDFs, and pictures too if you like.
2. Right-click › **PDF › Combine into One PDF…**.
3. A small sheet lists them in order. Drag the rows, or use the arrows, to set the order.
4. Name the file and press **Combine**.

The originals are kept, and ⌘Z removes the new file.

## More PDF tools in PaneStack

- **Read text in scans.** Search finds the text in scanned PDFs and screenshots, read on your Mac with Apple's Vision.
- **Edit info.** Change a PDF's title, author and keywords (⌥⇧⌘I).
- **Shrink.** Right-click › Shrink makes a smaller copy of PDFs and pictures; the original is never touched.
- **Pictures to PDF.** Right-click pictures › Convert to a PDF.
- **Summarise.** Right-click a PDF › Summarise for three short points, from Apple's on-device model (macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence).

## Common questions

### How do I merge PDFs on a Mac without Preview?

Select them in PaneStack, right-click › PDF › Combine into One PDF…, set the order and press Combine.

### Can I combine pictures and PDFs into one PDF?

Yes. Select both in PaneStack and choose Combine into One PDF; pictures become pages.

## Try PaneStack

PaneStack is a Finder alternative for Mac with up to 16 panes and undo for everything. One purchase, from $4.99, with every future version included. [See pricing](https://panestack.app/#pricing) or read [more tips](https://panestack.app/tips.html).