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Question

Is there a FASTER way to combine multiple .pdfs?

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
April 17, 2021
4 replies
2274 views

I have a folder 135,000+ files - a mix of .pdfs, .jpeg, and .png mostly. I need to take between 2 and 5 of those files at a time and combine them for all 135k files in the folder. I know the method of selecting the files in the folder and right clicking to "combine files", but when I'm starting with 135k files, even that is ridiculously slow. Is there a faster way to combine them?

Also, is it possible to automated delete the component files as the combined file is created? That would at list get rid of one step.

Further, I'd like to name the files after one of the component files. Right now, I have to right click on the original, click rename, copy the name, save the new combined file with that name, and approve overriding the original file. Is there any mechanism for a combine and replace?

This topic has been closed for replies.

try67

Community Expert

I was thinking about this request and came up with a way to automate this process by quite a bit, I believe. It will allow you to select multiple files at once and merge them in Acrobat, saving them using the name of the first file in the list, as you've described.

Are you on a Windows machine, though? Because I'm not sure it will work so smoothly on a Mac.

If so, and you're interested in purchasing this kind of tool feel free to contact me privately to discuss it further.

JR Boulay

Community Expert

"Acrobat is designed for interactive use with very low volume automation"

Sure, you have only a few tools:

- Action wizard

- Custom Command

- Dropplets (preflight)

- JavaScript

- AppleScript

- VB

😉

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Acrobat is designed for interactive use with very low volume automation. You haven't just knocked the ball out of the park, you're trying to knock it into the next state. Don't be surprised if a fully automated solution, once tried and tested, and working 100% reliably, still needs to run continuously for over a week. Acrobat will not be part of this, I feel sure.

mollykittiAuthor

Known Participant

I'm not expecting fully automated, just hoping there's any one step in the process I can eliminate. If I can cut 10 seconds out of my process, that's 10 seconds times 135k. It adds up.

try67

Community Expert

There are ways of doing it with a script, but I'll doubt it will be much more efficient than what you're already doing. It will have the benefit of being able to automatically save the file under the name of the first file you select, but on the other hand you will have to select each file separately.

Another option I can think of is if you're merging the file in a way that adds bookmarks to the merged file then a script can be used to rename that file using the name of the first bookmark. That might save you a couple of seconds, I guess... Also, you'll be able to run it in an Action on multiple files and process them all at once.

try67

Community Expert

Is there some kind of logic behind which files to combine?

If so, I would do it using a custom-made standalone tool. This is too much for Acrobat to be able to handle, and it also won't delete the source files. A command-line tool is much more efficient (as it can convert and combine the files without showing them on the screen), and much more versatile.

I've developed similar tools in the past for my clients and would be happy to create one for you too (for a fee, of course).

If you're interested you can contact me privately via [try6767 at gmail.com] to discuss it further.

mollykittiAuthor

Known Participant

Unfortunately, there really isn't any logic to the way the files are named and organized. The joys of adopting a former coworker's filing system. I would still have to select which files to combine. And I really don't mind that part. I was just hoping to eliminate a step or two from the proccess. Hoping Adobe had an option I didn't know about. But thank you.

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