Saving Multiple Images Into A PDF Using Preview 16

Trick

Saving Multiple Images Into A PDF Using Preview

Hey

A couple of days ago I wrote a post on how to make a PDF file from anything, some one asked the question how do you save multiple images as one PDF. There may be many reasons for adding images into a simple PDF, it is generally useful for email purposes. This post has actually taken me a while to find the best solution. My original solution involved me making an original PDF file and then adding pages into the PDF file and then adding the images. However with a bit (of rather obvious) looking i’ve found a simple way to do it.

The first step is to open your images using preview. The best way to do this is to first open your first image and then dragging the result of the images in. Therefore open up Preview with your first image. If the sidebar isn’t already open go to View > Sidebar > Thumbnails. Then select the second batch of images and drag them into the sidebar. If you images are all in the same folder you can open them all at once by selecting the images and double clicking one of the images. If needed you can re-arrange the images by dragging and dropping them into the correct order.

You are now ready to export the images (make sure you rotate the images as needed before hand). Select all of the images in the sidebar. Go to File > Print Selected Images. Then use the PDF option at the bottom of the page in a similar method to the PDF option done before.

This method is very similar to one done previously. However it took me a while to find the option in the File menu and its quite useful when you do.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave one below.


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16 Responses to “Saving Multiple Images Into A PDF Using Preview”

  1. 1

    I dont know if its my fault, but it seems to be a bug there…
    If i follow the procedure you describe, the pdf file will only include the first photo.
    I use the automator in order to get things done.

    Comment By anon on July 21st, at 5:32 pm

  2. 2

    I have had the same issue for quite some time. Any way I try, whether dragging the images/pdf’s over or opening them all at once. The odd thing is this USED to work and somewhere along an update the ability disappeared. I’d love to have a working solution as well.

    Comment By Jennifer Brasington on July 22nd, at 10:50 pm

  3. 3

    It worked fine for me. This way, you can also merge images with an existing PDF file. Simply drag the image to the desired location. Every image is on a new page.
    If the pdf is shown as a single thumbnail, there is an arrow. Click it and you’ll see one thumb for every single page. Then you can rearrange the pages by dragging.
    After you’ve finished reordering the pages, you can close the PFF file, so there’s only one thumb left. Then select it. This way you can’t forget to select all the pages.

    Comment By Jan-Arjen on August 8th, at 12:19 pm

  4. 4

    I had been trying to figure this out for about an hour – thank you for the solution! For those of you still struggling make sure you are saying “print selected images” instead of just “print” – that was my issue.

    BRAVO!

    Comment By Melissa on August 14th, at 5:25 am

  5. 5

    thank u very much for this tip ..it’s really useful

    Comment By esra on September 27th, at 5:43 pm

  6. 6

    All I can say is: PRINT SELECTED IMAGES

    Thanks so much!!!

    Comment By K on October 28th, at 3:09 pm

  7. 7

    You’re amazing for this!!! Thank you. Saved me hours.

    Comment By Lalalland on January 26th, at 5:53 pm

  8. 8

    Looked for a solution in iphoto or other App, tried to learn automator, and looked around the net for maybe an hour.

    Nobody showed me the sidebar button on Preview.
    I previously thought preview was worthless.

    Thanks for showing how I can used it.

    Comment By Mike Smith on February 4th, at 1:39 am

  9. 9

    THANKS YOU SO MUCH!

    Comment By kathryn on March 17th, at 8:34 am

  10. 10

    Wow – thank you so much for that simplification. I wasted an hour trying to sort this out.
    MR

    Comment By Most Remarkable on April 30th, at 6:31 pm

  11. 11

    i have 10.4.9. this version of preview does not have a “sidebar” it has a “drawer” and you can’t select multiple images with it.

    Comment By rou on May 10th, at 5:49 pm

  12. 12

    Thank you ever so much for your simple and effective advice.

    Comment By Samuel on June 14th, at 11:05 pm

  13. 13

    This saved me a lot of time – thank you

    Comment By Suz on June 30th, at 4:28 pm

  14. 14

    Thank you for this!

    Would like to add after playing around with it for awhile, I found that you can change it from A4 to what ever size your photos are so there is no white boarders. This has helped me greatly with having some odd shaped old photos.

    Comment By Amanda on October 13th, at 8:17 am

  15. 15

    Great post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very useful information specifically the last part :) I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this certain information for a very long time. Thank you and best of luck.

    Comment By Jacklyn Gaddis on October 16th, at 10:23 pm

  16. 16

    You just saved me hours of work with this tip.

    THANK. YOU.

    Comment By Rawrb on December 8th, at 10:12 pm

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