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Batch processing
Batch processing applies the same operation to a whole stack of PDFs without opening any of them. It has its own entry in the sidebar (the stack icon, below Process) and bypasses the Dashboard: files are read from disk, processed one by one, and the results are written to an output folder of your choice. Your original files are never modified.
Building the stack
Drag and drop PDFs into the central area, or click Add to pick them. Each file appears with a checkbox: an unchecked file stays in the list but is skipped during processing — handy for re-running an operation on part of the stack. Select All, Deselect All and Invert act on the whole list; Clear All empties it.
Then choose the output folder (Choose… button). Until it is set, or while no file is checked, the Start Processing button stays inactive.
The ten actions
The Action menu offers ten operations. Each has its options, shown under the menu, and writes its results under a name derived from the original file — a file of the same name already present in the output folder is replaced without warning.
| Action | Options | Result in the output folder |
|---|---|---|
| Compress / Optimize | the Quartz filter: Reduce File Size (default), Generic PDF/X-3, Gray Tone, Decrease Lightness | Processed_<name>.pdf |
| Watermark | text ("CONFIDENTIEL"), size (60), opacity (30%), rotation (45°), colour (red) | Watermarked_<name>.pdf |
| Convert to Images | JPEG (quality 80%) or PNG | a folder Images_<name> with one image per page |
| Extract Text (TXT) | Use OCR for pages without a text layer (off by default) | Text_<name>.txt |
| Metadata | title, author, subject, creator, keywords — each field is written only when its box is ticked | Metadata_<name>.pdf |
| Password Protection | user password, owner password, printing, copying and modifying permissions | Protected_<name>.pdf |
| Rotation | 90° right (default), 90° left or 180°, applied to every page | Rotated_<name>.pdf |
| Merge | the name of the produced file ("Merged.pdf") | a single file, documents in list order, their outlines one after the other |
| Sanitize (Clean) | none | Sanitized_<name>.pdf — notes, highlights and drawings removed, links and form fields kept |
| Split | the number of pages per file (1 by default) | a folder Split_<name> containing <name>_Part1.pdf, <name>_Part2.pdf… |
The options are reduced versions of those in the matching Dashboard modules: for a hand-placed watermark, a precise page range or a side-by-side compression, open the document in its module.
Following the run
Start Processing launches the stack; a progress bar advances file by file, and each row gets its verdict — succeeded, failed, or Skipped for unchecked files. A file that fails (unreadable PDF, output folder not writable) does not stop the following ones.
Once the stack is done, Open Output Folder reveals the results in the Finder.
Good practice
- An empty output folder: names are derived from the originals and duplicates are overwritten; a fresh folder avoids mixing with a previous run.
- Merge follows list order: arrange the files before starting — the order of addition is what counts.
- Test on one file before the whole stack: check a single one, verify the result, then Select All.
- Protection: an empty user password leaves the document openable by everyone; only the owner password then locks the permissions.
- Extraction with OCR: optical recognition multiplies the time per page; enable it only if your documents are scans.
Screenshots
1 screenshot — click to enlarge