How to Combine Existing PDFs with Other Documents
Question details
The user is trying to combine multiple file types, including an existing PDF, into a single document or print job, but the PDF gets excluded during the process.
- Product
- Acrobat XI Standard
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to merge an existing PDF with other document types and process them as a single print job.
- Observed behavior
- The existing PDF is excluded from the single print job because the 'Process as a Single Job' function is restricted by printer driver limitations.
Make sure all documents you intend to combine are saved locally on your device and are not protected by editing or printing passwords.
Use the Built-in Combine Files Feature
Bypass printer driver limitations by merging the PDF and other files into a single, cohesive PDF document before attempting to print.
The 'Process as a Single Job' functionality often relies on your operating system's printer driver rather than the PDF software itself. Since different file types spool differently to the printer, existing PDFs can be dropped from the queue. The most reliable method is to permanently merge the files first.
Launch your PDF software (such as Acrobat) and navigate to the 'Tools' menu, then select 'Combine Files'.
Click 'Add Files' and select the existing PDF along with the other document types (like Word, Excel, or images) that you want to include.
Drag and drop the file thumbnails to arrange them in your preferred order, then click 'Combine' to create a single new PDF.
Open the newly merged PDF, go to 'File', and select 'Print'. The entire combined document will now successfully print as a single job.
Adjust Printer Spool Settings
Check your system's printer driver settings if you must rely on the driver to combine print jobs automatically.
Merge PDFs and Office Documents Effortlessly
WPS Office offers a built-in, highly intuitive PDF toolkit that allows you to seamlessly merge PDFs with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. Avoid complicated printer settings by combining everything into one file directly.
- 1. Launch WPS PDF: Open WPS Office and click on the 'PDF' tab on the homepage.
- 2. Select Merge PDF: Navigate to the PDF Tools menu and click on the 'Merge PDF' option.
- 3. Add Your Documents: Click 'Add Files' to import the existing PDFs and any other Office documents you wish to combine.
- 4. Combine and Save: Organize the order of the files, click 'Merge', and save the newly combined document to print seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the 'Process as a Single Job' excluding my PDF?
This happens because 'Process as a Single Job' relies on your printer driver. Printer drivers often struggle to spool multiple different file formats (like sending a raw PDF and a Word document simultaneously) into one batch, causing the PDF to drop from the queue.
Can I combine Word documents and PDFs into one single file?
Yes. Instead of relying on a printer queue, use a PDF editor's 'Combine Files' or 'Merge PDF' tool to convert the Word document to PDF and stitch it together with your existing PDF into one continuous file.
Do I need special software to merge different document types?
Yes, standard operating systems usually cannot combine different file types natively. You will need dedicated software with conversion and merging capabilities, such as WPS Office or Adobe Acrobat, to consolidate them into a single PDF.
