Everyday tasks
Everyday PDF tasks: applications, statements and forms
By DeckleUpdated
Most everyday PDF jobs come down to a few moves: put several documents into one file, take a few pages out of a long one, turn photos into pages, or lock a file before you send it. Pick your task in the table below and follow the guide. Each one uses a Deckle tool that runs in your browser, creates a new file and leaves your originals as they were.
Find the guide for your task
| You need to | Guide | Main tool |
|---|---|---|
| Send a CV and cover letter as one attachment | Combine a CV and cover letter into one PDF | Merge PDFs |
| Submit a visa, rental or admissions pack | Put application documents into one PDF | Merge PDFs |
| Give a lender or accountant several months of statements | Combine bank statements into one PDF | Merge PDFs |
| Get a file accepted by an online form | Prepare a PDF for an online form upload | Organize PDF pages |
| Hand in written work as a single file | Turn handwritten homework into a PDF | JPG to PDF |
| Collect receipts, forms and statements for a tax return | Put your tax documents into one PDF | Merge PDFs |
| Send one invoice from a monthly batch | Pull individual invoices out of one PDF | Split PDF |
| Send a copy of a passport or driving licence | Turn a photo of your ID into a PDF | JPG to PDF |
| Separate a stack of letters scanned in one go | Split one big scan into separate documents | Split PDF |
The four moves behind almost every task
Combine. Merge PDFs joins whole files in the order of its list. You tick the files you want, move them into place and choose Merge PDFs. Use it for application packs, statements and tax paperwork.
Take pages out. Split PDF makes new files from page ranges, split points or one file per page. Organize PDF pages removes, reorders and turns pages inside one file and saves the result with Save pages.
Turn pictures into pages. JPG to PDF, PNG to PDF, HEIC to PDF and TIFF to PDF put one image on each page. Each tool takes only its own format, so convert JPG photos and HEIC photos in separate runs. Choose Fit inside A4 when the file will be printed or read on screen as a normal document.
Lock or tidy. Password protect PDF adds an open password, Unlock PDF removes one you know, and Remove PDF metadata deletes properties such as the author name before you share a file.
Put the steps in the right order
Several tasks need two tools, and the order matters:
- Unlock first. Merge PDFs, Split PDF and the page tools cannot open a password-protected file. Bank statements and payslips often arrive locked, so make unlocked copies with the password you were given.
- Convert images next. Merge PDFs takes PDF files only. Turn photos and screenshots into PDFs before you combine them with other documents.
- Fix pages inside each file. Remove blank pages and turn sideways scans in each source file, where they are easy to find.
- Merge. Put the files in reading order and create one PDF.
- Protect last. Add a password to the finished file, not to the parts, because a protected file cannot be merged.
Example: a rental application needs a passport photo, three payslips that arrive with a password, and a reference letter. Unlock the payslips, convert the passport photo with JPG to PDF, merge the five files in the order the agent asked for, then add a password to the merged file and send the password by text message.
What every tool does the same way
- Choosing a file changes nothing. Deckle reads the file and shows its pages. The work only starts when you choose the action button.
- The button tells you what is missing. If a step is not ready, the button is disabled and says what to do next, such as ticking a second file.
- You get a new file. Every tool saves a copy with its own name. The file you opened is not modified.
- The result screen says what happened. It states what was done, such as how many pages were combined, and a Verified line lists the checks that ran on the new file.
Files are processed in your browser on your own device and are not uploaded. That matters for statements, ID documents and tax papers, but it does not replace care at the other end: once you send or upload a file, it is in the recipient's hands.
Check the file before you send it
Open the download and page through it. Check that the page count is what you expected, that nothing is sideways and that each document starts where it should. Look at the file name too: smith-rental-application.pdf tells the recipient more than merged.pdf, and many portals show the name to the person reviewing your submission.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do these tasks on my phone?
Yes. Deckle runs in the browser, so the same tools work on iPhone, iPad and Android. Very large photos are limited on phones, so convert high-resolution camera images on a computer.
Do I need an account?
No. Open the tool, choose your file and download the result.
Can Deckle shrink a PDF to an exact size for an upload limit?
No. Deckle has no target-size compression. Removing pages the form does not need, and leaving out extra photos, are the reliable ways to keep a file under a limit with Deckle.
Why can't I merge a statement my bank sent me?
It is probably password protected. Open it in Unlock PDF with the password the bank gave you, then merge the unlocked copy.
Related tools
- Merge PDFs to combine documents into one file
- Split PDF to take pages out into separate files
- JPG to PDF to turn photos into PDF pages
- Password protect PDF to lock a file before you send it