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Automatic page merge - it it possible?

Forum Index > General Acrobat Topics > Automatic page merge - it it possible?
2010-03-28 01:56:09
ploughguy
Registered: Mar 28 2010
Posts: 2

I would like to ask Acrobat to consolidate receipt images so there are several per page, full size, closest fit. Is there a way to do this?

I have a ScanSnap 510 that I use to scan receipts. It generates a PDF which has one receipt per page. Once I scan the receipts, I file the originals with an index sheet which I currently print 4 pages per page, double sided. This is so I have a copy for the tax man if all the backups disappear shortly after my house is burgled and the Macs are stolen.

The 4-up printing reduces the size of the receipts even though they easily fit into a quarter of a page full size. Some receipts are quite long (cigarettes and whisky and wild, wild, women - all valid business expenses for a private detective, apparently) so they get scrunched even more.

Thanks for your help.
R

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 9.3.1, Macintosh
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2010-03-28 15:47:02
#1
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
There aren't any built-in tools for merging pages, but this is something that can be done. For example, pages can be overlayed on top of one another using the watermark tool. It's a daunting task to do manually, but it can automated with scripting.

Another approach is to reduce the page size to the actual page content and then tile the pages using print to PDF, and the multiple pages per sheet option. Page tiling can also be done with JavaScript, and in fact I've written a page tiling automation tool for the pdfscripting.com web site.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Then most important JavaScript Development tool in Acrobat
[url=http://www.pdfscripting.com/public/34.cfm#JSIntro][b]The Console Window (Video tutorial)[/b][/url]
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/javascript_console][b]The Console Window(article)[/b][/url]

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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2010-03-29 00:03:35
#2
TonyPotter
Registered: Feb 1 2010
Posts: 85
I like using Adobe Acrobat but I don't think it will work well for all the problems, just you mention that it can not combine PDF directly. thmp had provided some usefuk tips and I will give another advices. You can try to use [url=http://www.anypdftools.com/pdf-merger.php#201]PDF Merger[/url], which can change the properties of the output PDF document, security settings, bookmarks, and the way a merged PDF file displays. hope that helps.

I will try my best to help you in PDF converison fields, objectively and Neutral.

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2010-03-29 10:06:34
#3
thomp
Expert
Registered: Feb 15 2006
Posts: 4411
TonyPotter, Wow, that's a great set of tools!! However, I don't believe that PDF Merger will solve the problem, which is really combining sections of multiple pages into a single page, in an intelligent way, not just tiling, or merging PDF files.

This is very much a custom activity. Somthing like a special kind of imposition. And I don't know of any reasonably priced (cheap) tool for this kind of function.

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
[url=http://www.pdfScripting.com]pdfscripting.com[/url]

The Acrobat JavaScript Reference, Use it Early and Often
[url=http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php]http://www.adobe.com/devnet/acrobat/javascript.php[/url]

Then most important JavaScript Development tool in Acrobat
[url=http://www.pdfscripting.com/public/34.cfm#JSIntro][b]The Console Window (Video tutorial)[/b][/url]
[url=http://www.acrobatusers.com/tutorials/2006/javascript_console][b]The Console Window(article)[/b][/url]

Thom Parker
The source for PDF Scripting Info
www.pdfscripting.com
Very Important - How to Debug Your Script

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