Combining secured documens

[MichelAudy]

Is there a way to combine multiple secured files into a single document? My experience to date is that PDF-XChange Editor's "Combine Files into a Single PDF" will not allow any secured files to be included in the final document.

The ones I would really like to deal with are various monthly invoices I have received, which I want to combine into a single annual PDF for each entity. The documents are not password protected to open and view, and I can add sticky notes or comments to them, but I can't edit them, nor combine them into a single document. Unfortunately, I do not have any password for the files.

There was a December 2016 post titled "Combining Files: Feature Request or Explanation" which seemed to be asking a similar question. Tracker Supp-Stefan said he would look into this, but there does not appear to have been any follow-up that I could find.

Apparently Adobe Acrobat DC Pro can combine/merge protected PDFs,

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[PHK]

If the security provisions permit, you can print the document as a PDF and then you can do anything you like.

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I do "all the time" what you are seeking to do. However, I do not do it by not exactly combining files but rather individual pages using the Merge Pages functionality. I assemble all of the subject pages in one file, making sure they are arranged in my preferred order, say by date, and then merge blocks of them down to one page. If the invoices are multipage things, my first step would be to merge all those pages into one page for date of the invoice or other criteria before the step above.

So, what I have found works well for me is to make a vertical stack of monthly invoices that is all twelve months of the year. Actually, I even take it one step further and then Merge Pages again but this time all the years merged horizontally. This builds a matrix block of invoices made up of columns of years and rows of months all on one page. The sheet limits for a single page is 200 inches square (industry standard) which can accomodate 120 or more A4 or letter size source pages, the equivalent of ten years without resizing. I can then scroll around on that single sheet to my heart's content.

I sometimes use Combine Files first, however, as a way of getting all the pages into a single file rather than copying and pasting pages or other such approaches before I start merging pages. It just depends on what is easier.

I just hate the constraints of the legacy paper size format and this allows me to format my data with the content being the higher priority rather than the legacy page format.

This is an example of a single sheet of invoices where I get four invoices per month from a vendor. As it is, they come from the vendor as PDF downloads but if they came in paper, I would simply scan the paper to get the PDF. So each row is a month. When the year is complete, I can add this page (or "sheet" if you like) to prior years using Merge Pages and a horizontal merge.

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[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, Michel,

PHK's solution here will likely be what you need in this case. We cannot assist in circumventing the security of a PDF file as we must respect those options within a file. If there is security preventing any form of editing, copying, modification, etc, the file will not be usable in a combine action, there are very few times when a document with security in place can be used in a combine action, but there are still some exceptions.

The alternative is to remove the security from the file before you try to use it in a combine action, which is significantly safer. Printing PDF to PDF does carry the risk of flattening or outright damaging your document in the process, so do be warned of that. If possible, working with the original is always the best path to take.

Kind regards,

[PHK]

... Printing PDF to PDF does carry the risk of flattening or outright damaging your document in the process, so do be warned of that.

But in the case of simple invoices as in OP's inquiry, there is probably not much to damage and flattening shouldn't be an issue, no?

If possible, working with the original is always the best path to take...

Agree, but big "if."

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, PHK

But in the case of simple invoices as in OP's inquiry, there is probably not much to damage and flattening shouldn't be an issue, no?

Not quite, flattening would mean the text content in place is no longer editable text, but instead converted to either shapes, or images. This can make performing edits later on an annoyance, and if there is any chance of needing that, it would certainly be a problem. It also has the side effect of rendering the pages no longer "searchable" which would be a far more critical feature in the case of invoices.
Beyond that, the risk of damaging the file is essentially moot, as you should be creating a new copy of the file, not overwriting the original, so if the output file is damaged, the only thing you lost is a few moments of time pressing "print".

Kind regards,

[PHK]

...
Not quite, flattening would mean the text content in place is no longer editable text, but instead converted to either shapes, or images. This can make performing edits later on an annoyance, and if there is any chance of needing that, it would certainly be a problem. It also has the side effect of rendering the pages no longer "searchable" which would be a far more critical feature in the case of invoices.

Fair enough. So, the user has a hard choice: searchability vs. observabiility. Again back to the original inquiry, as a practioner of the art of invoice assemby I just want to see the data. Particularly if the data tends to be repetitive. I don't see why you say searchable pages are far more critical. Take for example utility bills. The data changes month to month but only a few variables such as charging rate, energy consumed, time period, and final total cost. Content searchability is likely to be irrelevant. I just want to see the data. I won't be looking for, say, the amount of $34.91 for example. And there still remains the OCR option.

Beyond that, the risk of damaging the file is essentially moot, as you should be creating a new copy of the file, not overwriting the original, so if the output file is damaged, the only thing you lost is a few moments of time pressing "print".

I certainly agree not to overwriting the original. But I am not so keen on creating a new file copy when I know that I can always go back to the source and re-download the file.

But I have no idea why some data providers allow downloads but then impose security restrictions on the files. I have sources that do it both ways.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, PHK

I don't understand providers who place unnecessary restrictions on their files either, sadly, our hands are tied, and we do still need to respect that security, no matter how inane it appears on our end.

Kind regards,

[PHK]

Hello, PHK

I don't understand providers who place unnecessary restrictions on their files either, sadly, our hands are tied, and we do still need to respect that security, no matter how inane it appears on our end.

Kind regards,

And we need to respect your position on that!

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]