Make & keep
Reorder strip scans while combining PDFs in Preview
Use page thumbnails or Contact Sheet view to review order, then combine copies without changing the source PDFs.
When strip scans are already stored as PDF pages, Preview can combine selected pages and move them into sequence. Its Contact Sheet view is a way to inspect many pages at once; it does not itself create a new image contact sheet. Duplicate the PDFs first because Preview saves document changes automatically.
Duplicate the source PDFs
Open the source PDFs and choose File > Duplicate for each one you want to preserve. In each open document, choose View > Thumbnails or View > Contact Sheet. Command-click the page thumbnails you need, then drag them from one sidebar to the destination PDF at the point where they should appear.
Evidence: Apple user guide
Review and reorder pages
Use Contact Sheet when a visual overview helps you compare frame order; use Thumbnails for precise insertion and page selection. Drag pages to reorder them and inspect the sequence from first to last. If the strip pages are in separate PDFs, move them into a single working copy of the destination document.
Evidence: Apple user guide
Save and verify the combined copy
Save the combined PDF under a new name and reopen it to confirm the order and page count. The source PDFs remain available because you duplicated them before editing. This workflow assembles scans already in PDF form; it does not flatten or improve the underlying image resolution.
Evidence: Apple user guide
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Apple Preview User Guide — Combine PDFsApple user guide