Merge / convert multiple PDF files into one PDF

📝 Merge/Convert Multiple PDF Files into One PDF: A Simple Guide

Are you struggling to merge or convert multiple PDF files into a single, cohesive PDF document? Don't worry, we've got you covered! In this blog post, we will address common issues and provide easy solutions to help you achieve your goal effortlessly. 💪📄

The Problem: Not Getting Expected Results

You may have tried using the following command-line solution:

convert file1.pdf file2.pdf merged.pdf

But unfortunately, the content of the merged file didn't turn out as expected. 😞

The Solution: A Simple CLI Approach

Fear not! We have a straightforward command-line solution that will merge and convert your PDF files effortlessly. 🚀

You need to utilize the power of two commands: convert and pdf2ps.

1. First, let's merge the PDF files using the convert command, but with a slight modification:

   convert file1.pdf file2.pdf -append merged.pdf

   By using the -append option, all the input PDF files will be appended vertically to form a single PDF file.

2. Now, we need to convert the merged PDF file to PostScript using pdf2ps:

   pdf2ps merged.pdf merged.ps

   The pdf2ps command converts a PDF file to PostScript format, which can be further processed or printed.

The Trick: Piping the Output

If you want to take it a step further and pipe the output of the merge/convert command straight into pdf2ps, follow this cool trick:

convert file1.pdf file2.pdf -append | pdf2ps - merged.ps

By using the pipe symbol (|), the output of the convert command is passed directly as input to pdf2ps, saving you an intermediate file.

Your Turn: Try it Out!

Now that you know the simple CLI approach to merge and convert multiple PDF files, it's time to give it a shot! 🎉

Open your terminal and navigate to the directory where your PDF files are located. Then, run the appropriate command based on your requirements. You can either use the two-step approach or the piping trick mentioned above. Experiment and see how it works for you! 💻

Remember, this guide assumes you have both the convert and pdf2ps commands installed on your Linux system. If not, please make sure to install them before proceeding.

Share Your Experience!

We hope this guide helped you merge and convert your PDF files seamlessly. Now, we want to hear from you! Share your experience in the comments below. Did our solutions work for you? Do you have any other tips or tricks you'd like to share? Let's have a discussion and help each other out!

If you found this guide helpful, make sure to share it with your friends and colleagues who might encounter similar PDF merging or conversion problems. Spread the knowledge! 📤🔍

Happy merging and converting! ✨🔀✨