using IronPdf; // Disable local disk access or cross-origin requests Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true; // Instantiate Renderer var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer(); // Create a PDF from a HTML string using C# var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>"); // Export to a file or Stream pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf"); // Advanced Example with HTML Assets // Load external html assets: Images, CSS and JavaScript. // An optional BasePath 'C:\site\assets\' is set as the file location to load assets from var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\"); myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

using IronPdf; using System; // Step 1. Creating a PDF with editable forms from HTML using form and input tags // Radio Button and Checkbox can also be implemented with input type 'radio' and 'checkbox' const string formHtml = @" <html> <body> <h2>Editable PDF Form</h2> <form> First name: <br> <input type='text' name='firstname' value=''> <br> Last name: <br> <input type='text' name='lastname' value=''> <br> <br> <p>Please specify your gender:</p> <input type='radio' id='female' name='gender' value= 'Female'> <label for='female'>Female</label> <br> <br> <input type='radio' id='male' name='gender' value='Male'> <label for='male'>Male</label> <br> <br> <input type='radio' id='non-binary/other' name='gender' value='Non-Binary / Other'> <label for='non-binary/other'>Non-Binary / Other</label> <br> <p>Please select all medical conditions that apply:</p> <input type='checkbox' id='condition1' name='Hypertension' value='Hypertension'> <label for='condition1'> Hypertension</label><br> <input type='checkbox' id='condition2' name='Heart Disease' value='Heart Disease'> <label for='condition2'> Heart Disease</label><br> <input type='checkbox' id='condition3' name='Stoke' value='Stoke'> <label for='condition3'> Stoke</label><br> <input type='checkbox' id='condition4' name='Diabetes' value='Diabetes'> <label for='condition4'> Diabetes</label><br> <input type='checkbox' id='condition5' name='Kidney Disease' value='Kidney Disease'> <label for='condition5'> Kidney Disease</label><br> </form> </body> </html>"; // Instantiate Renderer var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer(); renderer.RenderingOptions.CreatePdfFormsFromHtml = true; renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(formHtml).SaveAs("BasicForm.pdf"); // Step 2. Reading and Writing PDF form values. var FormDocument = PdfDocument.FromFile("BasicForm.pdf"); // Set and Read the value of the "firstname" field var FirstNameField = FormDocument.Form.FindFormField("firstname"); FirstNameField.Value = "Minnie"; Console.WriteLine("FirstNameField value: {0}", FirstNameField.Value); // Set and Read the value of the "lastname" field var LastNameField = FormDocument.Form.FindFormField("lastname"); LastNameField.Value = "Mouse"; Console.WriteLine("LastNameField value: {0}", LastNameField.Value); FormDocument.SaveAs("FilledForm.pdf");

Published March 20, 2023

How to Combine PDF Files Without Adobe

In the modern digital age, PDF files have become one of the most popular document formats. Whether it's a business report, an academic paper, or eBooks, PDFs offer a reliable and versatile platform to present information. However, sometimes you may have multiple PDF files that you want to merge into one document.

There are several tools available to help you merge PDF documents, including Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is widely considered to be the industry standard. However, not everyone has access to this program, as it can be quite expensive. In this article, we will show you how to merge PDF files without Adobe Acrobat Reader using two popular tools, SamPDF Basic and SmallPDF, and introduce you to IronPDF as an alternative solution.

PDFSam Basic

PDFSam Basic is a lightweight and user-friendly PDF editor that enables you to combine, split, and manipulate PDF files. It offers a range of basic features that are easy to use, making it an excellent option for those who are new to PDF editing.

One of the main advantages of PDFSam Basic is its simplicity. The user interface is clean and intuitive, and the process of merging PDF files is straightforward. PDFSam Basic is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

How to Combine PDF Files Using PDFSam Basic

Step 1: Download and install SamPDF Basic from the official website.

Step 2: Open the program and click on the "Merge" button on the side menu.

Figure 1 – Merge PDF Files using PDFSam Basic

Step 3: Now drag and drop the PDF files you wish to combine. You can also rearrange the files by dragging and dropping them into the desired order.

Figure 2 – PDFSam: Select the PDF Files that will be merged

Step 4: You can do multiple merge settings like adding a footer or adding a table of contents and many other things.

Figure 3 – PDFSam: Choose additional merge settings

Step 5: Now select the destination of the output file and Click on the "Run" button to combine the files. The merged PDF will be saved in the selected destination folder.

SmallPDF

SmallPDF is a popular online tool that offers a range of PDF editing features, including the ability to combine multiple PDF files. One of the main advantages of SmallPDF is its convenience. Because it is a web-based tool, you can access it from any device with an internet connection, without needing to download or install any software.

In addition to its merging capabilities, SmallPDF offers a variety of other features, such as PDF compression, conversion to different file formats, and e-signing. These features are available through both the free and paid versions of the tool.

How to Combine PDF Files Using SmallPDF

Step 1: Go to the SmallPDF website and click on the "Merge PDF" button.

Figure 4 – Merging PDFs using the SmallPDF website

Step 2: Click on the "Choose Files" button and select the files you wish to combine. You can also rearrange the files by dragging and dropping them into the desired order.

Figure 5 – SmallPDF: Select the files to merge together

Figure 6 – SmallPDF: Upload the PDF Files

Step 3: After uploading the files, select the "Merge Files" option.

Figure 7 – SmallPDF: Click on the Merge Files Button to begin the Merge Process

Step 4: Click on the "Merge PDF" button and wait for the tool to process the files.

Step 5: Download the merged PDF file to your computer or save it to your preferred cloud storage service.

Figure 8 – SmallPDF: Once the Merge is Finished, click on the Download button to download the merged PDF

Introducing IronPDF

While both PDFSam Basic and SmallPDF are excellent tools for merging PDF files, they do have some limitations. For example, PDFSam Basic only offers basic editing features, and SmallPDF requires an internet connection to use. If you need a more robust solution for PDF editing, you might consider IronPDF.

IronPDF is a powerful PDF editing tool that enables you to manipulate, merge, and create PDF files with ease. It offers a range of advanced features, such as the ability to add text, images, and annotations, and to convert PDF files to different file formats.

One of the main advantages of IronPDF is its flexibility. It can be used as a standalone desktop application or integrated into your web application using the IronPDF API. Additionally, IronPDF is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Merge PDF Files using IronPDF

Step 1: Install IronPDF

The first step in merging PDF files using IronPDF is to download and install the IronPDF library. You can install it using the NuGet Console. Use the following command to install IronPDF:

Install-Package IronPdf

Step 2: Import the IronPDF Library

Once you have installed IronPDF, you need to import the library into your project. This can be done by adding the following code to the top of your C# file:

using IronPdf;

using IronPdf;

Imports IronPdf

VB C#

Step 3: Load the PDF Files

Next, you need to load the PDF files that you want to merge. You can do this using the PdfDocument.FromFile method. In the following example, we are loading two PDF files named A.pdf and B.pdf:

var firstPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("A.pdf");
var secondPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("B.pdf");

var firstPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("A.pdf");
var secondPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("B.pdf");

Dim firstPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("A.pdf")
Dim secondPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("B.pdf")

VB C#

Step 4: Merge the PDF Files

Once you have loaded the PDF files, you can use the PdfDocument.Merge method to merge them into a single PDF file. In the following example, we are merging the "firstPDF" and "secondPDF" files:

var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(firstPDF, secondPDF);

var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(firstPDF, secondPDF);

Dim merged = PdfDocument.Merge(firstPDF, secondPDF)

VB C#

Step 5: Save the Merged PDF File

Finally, you need to save the merged PDF file to your computer. You can do this using the SaveAs method. In the following example, we are saving the merged PDF file as "Merged.pdf":

merged.SaveAs("Merged.pdf");

merged.SaveAs("Merged.pdf");

merged.SaveAs("Merged.pdf")

VB C#

The complete code to merge two PDF files using IronPDF is as follows:

using IronPdf;

var firstPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("A.pdf");
var secondPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("B.pdf");
var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(firstPDF, secondPDF);
merged.SaveAs("Merged.pdf");

using IronPdf;

var firstPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("A.pdf");
var secondPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("B.pdf");
var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(firstPDF, secondPDF);
merged.SaveAs("Merged.pdf");

Imports IronPdf

Private firstPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("A.pdf")
Private secondPDF = PdfDocument.FromFile("B.pdf")
Private merged = PdfDocument.Merge(firstPDF, secondPDF)
merged.SaveAs("Merged.pdf")

VB C#

By following these steps and using the IronPDF library, you can easily merge multiple PDF files into a single document using IronPDF.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to combine PDF files without Adobe using two popular tools: PDFSam Basic and SmallPDF. Both tools are easy to use and offer a range of basic editing features. However, if you need a more powerful solution for PDF editing, you might consider IronPDF.

IronPDF offers a range of advanced features and greater flexibility than alternatives. Regardless of which tool you choose, combining multiple PDF files into one document is a simple process that can save you time and effort in managing your digital documents.

If you're interested in integrating IronPDF into your product, it is available under a commercial license, which starts from $749 for a single developer license. IronPDF is also available with a free trial, which allows you to try out the software and see if it meets your needs before making a purchase. The trial version offers full functionality and support, so you can test all of the features of IronPDF without any limitations.

If you decide to purchase a license, you can choose from a range of options based on your needs, including licenses for multiple developers and enterprise-level licenses.