How to combine several email attachments into one PDF on a Mac
Turn a set of attachments, PDFs, photos and the email itself, into one tidy PDF on a Mac, ready to forward or file, in a few minutes.
The problem
An email thread came with six attachments, a mix of PDFs and photos, and you need to send them on or file them as one document.
How do I save all email attachments as one PDF on a Mac?
- Save them all. In Apple Mail, open the email and choose File > Save Attachments, or drag them from the message into a new Finder folder.
- Add the email itself, if it matters: File > Export as PDF in Mail. See save an email as PDF.
- Number them in the order you want: 01, 02, 03 at the start of each name.
- Combine. In Finder, sort by name, select them all, Control click, and choose Quick Actions > Create PDF.
What if an attachment is a Word file?
Turn it into a PDF first: open it and choose File > Print, then PDF > Save as PDF. See save anything as PDF.
Why are the pages in the wrong order?
Finder combines files in the order the window shows them, not the order you clicked. Number the names and sort by name. See merge PDFs in order.
Our take
Put the email first. Whoever opens the combined PDF later needs to know why these attachments belong together, and the email answers that in its first line, while the attachments alone are a stack of pages with no explanation.
In Simply PDF
Merging and turning photos into PDF are free in Simply PDF, and Merge adds a bookmark for each file so the reader can jump to each attachment.
Questions
How do I save all email attachments as one PDF on a Mac?
Save the attachments to a folder, export the email as PDF if needed, number the files, then select all and use Quick Actions > Create PDF in Finder.
Can I include the email text too?
Yes. Export the email with File > Export as PDF in Mail and combine it with the attachments.