To merge Word documents, you can use Microsoft Word or convert files to PDF and combine them using the PDF.net merging tool.
Combining Word documents is a common practice for reports, contracts, and assignments, as they are usually interconnected and often cover similar or the same business affairs or projects. By bringing everything to one place, merging also facilitates collaboration and editing, and is suitable for archiving files.
Since they offer better formatting and readability, as well as easier sharing, you can merge and use PDFs instead of Word documents. Let’s learn about combining Word files and what opportunities PDF.net offers beyond this.
Why Should You Merge Your Documents?
You should merge your documents because you can use them more efficiently and for more purposes afterward.
For instance, project managers can combine multiple deliverables to have a uniform overview of results at the end of a project. Merging Word documents is also essential for creating long audit reports, as they contain separate entities (e.g., the scope, the identified risks, etc.) that auditors should present at once.
Similarly, businesses can join Word files and have various contracts, resumes, and forms in one place. As these documents may refer to the same person, business plan, or entity, having them together can prevent excluding their essential parts.
Moreover, multiple individuals may need information from the same project, plan, or entity. In such cases, it is better to combine documents rather than keep numerous files in random places and hinder accessibility.
Another benefit of joining Word documents is that it can replace traditional bookbinding (if no physical copies are needed). So, instead of manually connecting pages from various books or documents, you can collect materials and use digital tools to merge them, which requires less time and effort.
How to Merge Word Documents Step-by-Step in Microsoft Word
To merge Word documents using Microsoft Word or link another file to them, you can use an insert text from a file or a drag-and-drop method.
Let’s see these methods in greater detail:
#1. Insert Text From File
Inserting text from a file in Word is a straightforward way to combine documents.
Here are the steps to completing this process:
1. Open Microsoft Word and select Blank document.
2. Click the Insert menu in the top-left corner.
3. Choose the Object menu and select Text from File.
4. Find and select the file you want to add and click Insert.
#2. Drag and Drop Method
With the drag-and-drop method, you cannot merge multiple DOCX files; you can only insert a hyperlink to another document. Still, this is a useful way to connect files without designated Word merge tools, by doing the following:
1. Run Microsoft Word and choose Blank document.
2. Press the Restore Down button in the top-right corner to make the Word window smaller.
3. Find the file you want to insert, click it, hold it, and drag it into the blank Word document.
4. Repeat this process for multiple files or select them all simultaneously if they are in the same location.
As mentioned, this method only adds the folder icon to your document, which you can double-click to open. To have the actual content on your Word document, you can use the Insert Text from File option.
#2. How to Merge Word Documents as PDF Files (With PDF.net)
To merge Word documents with PDF, you can combine files and convert Word to PDF or use PDF.net for straight file joining and exporting.
If you already have a merged Word file or wish to use Word document combiners/Microsoft Word for the joining process, you can later use the Word to PDF converter to get a merged PDF. The process behind this is simple—upload your Word document, use the tool to transform Word into PDF, and download your converted file.
On the other hand, you can merge Word files online and export them as a PDF with PDF.net, following the next steps:
- Visit our website and select the Merge tool.
- Click Choose file to select multiple Word documents from your drive.
- Order your files by selecting the document thumbnail and using the left or right button in the upper-right corner, and then click Merge files.
- Click the Download button at the top-right.
- Name your file and click Download PDF (the option to export your file as a PDF will be selected by default).
After merging documents and saving them as PDFs, you can always revert this process and convert your PDF to Word if needed.
Why Convert Word Documents to PDF Before Merging?
You should convert Word documents to PDF and merge them to enhance readability, have stable formatting, and facilitate sharing.
Let’s learn more about these benefits:
#1. Universal Readability
PDF format is highly compatible, meaning all operating systems and devices support it. Specifically, there are PDF readers for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, some of which are built-in and some of which you can download and install easily.
Similarly, you can use online PDF readers to access and use this file type. Plus, most programs and online software (e.g., PDF.net) allow you to edit your documents or change their size or format.
#2. Locked Formatting
The formatting of PDFs is non-changeable in the sense that all devices that can open such files show an identical document version. This allows you to distribute PDFs without worrying whether the recipient can see the content in the original form.
Locked PDF formatting is also suitable for printing. This is because you may take the file to a copy shop or another place where people may prepare your document for printing using programs that differ from yours. In most cases, this scenario will change formatting for other documents (e.g., Word) but not for PDF.
#3. Easier Sharing
Due to their uniform formatting, PDF documents are typically smaller than Word, Excel, and other files. The smaller the file is, the easier it is to share it on various platforms. For example, you can have a lot of content in your PDFs and still not surpass the 25 MB limit for sharing using most email services.
Additionally, you can upload low-sized documents faster on social media channels or cloud services and open them easily on online platforms, as they can load quickly. Finally, your recipients can save time and download smaller PDFs within seconds.
3 Tips to Maintain Formatting When Merging
To prevent the disruption of formatting and have neat files after merging, pay attention to styling and formatting techniques.
Here are the most important styling and formatting methods to stick to:
- Use a consistent style. You should add headings and subheadings across your document. Instead of enlarging and bolding the font, as well as separating it from the rest of the text, you should style your headings and level them logically throughout the file.
- Add section breaks where needed. Just as page breaks make clear distinctions between pages within a section, section breaks help readers distinguish between the largest document entities. So, by adding them, you can make your file more coherent.
- Standardize general formatting. Use standard typography and ensure that your margins and spacing are set equally for all the pages and files you plan to merge. Generalized formatting will also reduce your document’s size (as non-standard fonts can be large) and make it easier to print (almost all devices and programs can read files with general formatting).
What You Can Do With Merged Files (Tools & Features)
After combining multiple Word documents into one PDF, you can increase its shareability or protection levels, among many other possibilities that our PDF tools offer.
Let’s take a closer look at these opportunities:
- Compression. If you export merged files as PDFs, you can compress them in several clicks to facilitate sharing, uploading, and overall usage.
- Password-protection. You can secure documents after merging with our lock tool, which allows you to password-protect PDFs and set various restrictions (e.g., copying or printing).
- Watermark or signature protection. To show that everything in your file is authentic, you can add a watermark to your PDFs. Additionally, you can use our signing tool to add a digital signature to your official documents and confirm their validity.
How to Merge Word Documents FAQ
#1. How can I merge Word documents with different headers?
You can merge Word documents with different headers by inserting page breaks into your document. This will create multiple sections in your file, with a new header and footer for each one, allowing for neat merging.
#2. How do I merge Word documents without losing formatting?
You merge Word documents without losing formatting by converting Word files to PDFs and then merging PDFs using tools such as PDF.net. The conversion will create PDF files with locked formatting to sustain the combining process.
#3. How do I insert a Word document into another Word document?
You insert a Word document into another Word document by dragging and dropping the file from your storage into another one, which you can open in MS Word. Also, you can use the Insert text from File feature in the same program to add one document to another.