Family Historian User Group

I am using the 64 bit version of IrfanView 4.60 and version 4.58 of PDF.DLL.

Since I have never used IrfanView on PDF files, I had never installed GhostScript. I just installed the 32 bit version of GhostScript and restarted IrfanView and I get the same error. For my testing I am using the Whats New in Family Historian 7.pdf file.

Not sure what is going on. In any case, I thought IrfanView might not be able to combine PDFs. I stand corrected.
IrfanView seems to be able to combine PDFs, but so far I've been unable to make it work.

Bill

I'm not sure why Bill is having a problem.
However, I thought it worth clarifying what IrfanView does when combining PDF.
It effectively takes a 'screenshot' of each PDF page and then creates a combined PDF where each page is just an image.
In other words, whereas the original PDF may contain text that can be searched, the combined PDF cannot.

I use the free JPG To PDF utility from jpgpdf.net

Trevor, I don't think anyone has had problems creating PDfs from JPGs using Irfanview (which is also free). And Bill confirmed that he can use Irfanview to combine multiple JPGs into a multipage PDF. The specific problem is that some users find they can't use Irfanview to combine existing PDFs (single or multiple pages) into into longer multipage PDFs. It works for some of us but not for others.

As far as I know, the JPG To PDF utility you mentioned doesn't do that.

I am not really concerned that it doesn't work for me. As I mentioned, I had never used IrfanView to try to combine PDFs in the past and don't think I'll ever do that in the future. With Mike's warning about the resulting pages being just images, there is even less likelihood that I would do that.

Thanks everyone for your help.
Bill

@BillH

There are several free online sites that combine several pdf's to one pdf. The main one that I use is Adobe (who wrote the pdf spec) at https://www.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/online/merge-pdf.html

Colin,

Thanks for the link. I've never actually had the need to combine PDFs before, but I'll keep this if it ever happens.

Bill

Hello and thanks for the replies.

For what it is worth, I have stumbled upon the answer as to why Irfan 4.6 wasn't picking up my files when using /Multipage Images/Create Multipage PDF.

I selected Options / Properties & Settings, Selected Plugins in the L/H Window and then PDF Options (bottom right) , then I ticked the Use New PDF.DLL option.

After that selected Multipage Images/Create Multipage Image PDF and then selected Individual PDFs. Create PDF, it then created a PDF in the C:/TEMP directory. Opened the file and bingo a combined PDF.

Learn something today, always learning something from this Forum. Thanks PP

I'm glad you've cracked it!

I see that (in my 4.53 version) it says Use (new) "PDF.DLL" Plugin for PDF loading (otherwise the (old) Ghostscript Plugin will be used). So the KB article IrfanView which Mike referred to in an earlier post needs updating, as it says you need to have Ghostscript.

I’ll add that to the Maintaining the Knowledge Base forum.

In case anyone is interested.

I set the options as described by PyreneesPirate and I also can now combine multiple PDFs into one. The pages seem to be images as described by Mike so they can not be searched. However, if I then use the OCR function of IrfanView the result is searchable and the text can be selected and copied and pasted.

Bill

I've used Irfanview quite a bit and it's a brilliant program.

However, when saving as PDF I don't think it runs OCR to make the PDF searchable.

To make a searchable PDF I've used this free program: https://www.naps2.com/ ("Not another PDF scanner").

Whilst it is a scanner program (which I use in preference to one Brother supplied with my printer), it has an "import" button to load JPGs or existing PDFs and then you save as a PDF which is searchable.

I find this seriously useful for larger documents - eg I downloaded a several hundred page document of an old history book which wasn't searchable. Ran it through NAPS and bingo, it's all searchable.

Hope this helps

Andrew

wellera wrote: ↑

27 Aug 2022 19:45

However, when saving as PDF I don't think it runs OCR to make the PDF searchable.

Andrew,

You are correct. It does not. And I misspoke. I meant to say that after creating the PDF in IrfanView, I used the OCR option in PDF XChange Editor to create a searchable PDF.

Sorry for any confusion.

Bill

I will go back to my earlier post use the Free Adobe online editor to combine 2 pdf's they are saved as searchable pdf's no need to ocr just a one step process. Irfanview under these circumstances is useful only if you want a image of the pdf's imho.

Yes, online options are available, and probably preferable as they produce searchable PDFs. Looking back through this thread, the suggestion to use Irfanview to combine existing PDFs originally came up because back on 4 March Gowermick said:

I'd appreciate knowing your method of combining PDF's, it is something I'm looking into and can only see on-line options. Hopefully your method doesn't involve going on-line or purchasing more software

He specifically didn't want to go online (he didn't say why, perhaps he didn't want to risk theft of personal data??) so I suggested Irfanview.

One of the online services also provides an offline installation (freeware) option, but it's a far more substantial download/installation in comparison with IrfanView. See https://tools.pdf24.org/en/creator for full details and features.

Mervyn

Or, you can have your own company, buy an all-singing all-dancing PDF manipulation tool for ££££ as a business expense and then close the company down.

It's probably a step too far for most people.

Seriously, we've had a number of online and offline solutions proposed, all of which (as far as I can see) will work. I'm not certain how many more alternatives we need here... But feel free to add your favourite to PDF Utilities with a reason why! via Add/Update a Service or Utility