How to Combine Multiple Images into a Single PDF in Preview on macOS

When you are auditing a forensic dataset containing dozens of isolated JPEG or PNG photographs on a macOS workstation, transmitting them individually is mathematically inefficient and prone to sequence corruption. To force the macOS neural engine to geometrically stitch these disparate image vectors together into a single, unified, multi-page PDF document, you must deploy the binding protocols within the native Preview application.

Initializing the Matrix Binder

The Preview application possesses a deeply integrated Core Graphics matrix capable of converting raw bitmap data into encapsulated PDF vectors in real-time, without requiring third-party compilation software.

  1. Locate the target image files in Finder.
  2. Click and drag your mouse to physically highlight all the required images, or hold the Cmd key and click them individually to select a specific, non-sequential array.
  3. Double-click any one of the highlighted files. By default, the macOS engine will open all selected images simultaneously within a single Preview window.

Executing the Geometric Stitch

  1. Look at the absolute left side of the Preview window. Ensure the Sidebar is deployed (if not, click View > Thumbnails). You will see a vertical stack of all the loaded images.
  2. Look at the absolute top menu bar of the screen. Click on File to deploy the system matrix.
  3. Select the Print… command from the drop-down menu (or press the absolute hotkey: Cmd + P). This seems counterintuitive, but you are not routing the data to a physical printer.

Compiling the PDF Architecture

  1. A complex Print dialogue window will algorithmically spawn. Look at the absolute bottom-center or bottom-left of this window.
  2. Locate the small dropdown button labeled PDF. Click it.
  3. Select Save as PDF… from the sub-menu.
  4. A secondary save dialogue will materialize. Define the absolute filename and the target directory coordinate on your hard drive.
  5. Click Save. The neural engine intercepts the print spool, violently transcodes every single image layer into a PDF vector, and binds them sequentially into one pristine, highly portable document architecture.

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