TIPS & TRICKS: Combining PDFs using Automator in OS X

The more I use Automator the more I appreciate the power of OS X.

Using Adobe Acrobat, there's a built-in feature that allows for the inserting of PDF pages from other files. However, on my Mac I want to avoid installing Acrobat (personal preference). But, I'd still like the feature of being able to combine PDF files. Enter Automator. I was able to create a workflow that allows me to just highlight specific PDF files (without them being even open), and choose the Automator action to combine them. Here's a Macworld article with simple instructions:

http://www.macworld.com/2005/09/features/tigertips3/index1.php

Or the text here:

- In Automator’s Library column, click on Finder
- Drag Get Specified Finder Items from the Action column into the Workflow area on the right of the Automator window
- Next, drag the Sort Finder Items action into the Workflow area, below the already-placed action. If you don’t want to sort by name, click on the pop-up menus to choose another criterion and sort order
- Click on PDF in the Library column, and then drag Combine PDF Pages from the Action column and place it at the bottom of the Workflow area
- Select the Finder in the Library column again, and drag the Open Finder Items from the Action column to the bottom of the Workflow area
- To turn this Automator action into something you can use directly from the Finder, choose File: Save As Plug-In
- Give your action a meaningful name (Combine PDFs, for instance). Leave the Plug-in For pop-up menu set to Finder, and click on Save
- To put it to use, quit Automator and switch to the Finder.
- Select each of your PDFs, using the shift and/or Command keys as necessary to select them all, and then control-click on one of the selected files
- Choose Automator: Combine PDFs (or whatever you called it) from the pop-up menu; then just sit back and wait a bit
- Depending on the size of the PDFs, and how many PDFs you chose, the process will take from a few seconds to a few minutes
- Select File: Save to save it to the location of your choice