Automation Tasks Series: Merge Images Into a PDF File

This is a three-part series on Alfred's Automation Tasks workflow object.

In the first part, we created a workflow to quit all apps except some pre-defined ones, allowing you to quickly create a focused work environment.

In the second post, we used an Automation Task to capture text from an image and copy it to Alfred's clipboard.

With 231 Automation Tasks at your fingertips and more being added regularly, you can create powerful workflows with no need to know how to script or code anything!

In this third and final post, we'll learn how to merge images into a PDF document using Alfred, with two different ways to use the workflow.

Two ways to trigger the workflow

When using this workflow, we need to select our images first, then trigger the creation of a PDF file. To achieve this, we'll create the first path by connecting a Universal Action Trigger to the Automation Task object.

The Universal Action is configured with:

• Name: Merge into a PDF
• Show only when Files are selected
• Accept single and multiple arguments (files) at once

For the Automation Task, we'll choose the task Merge to PDF from Core Automation Tasks > PDF Manipulation.

We need to configure the folder where the created PFDs will be stored; In this case, I opted for a MergedPDF folder on the Desktop.

Next, let's add a second way to send files to this Automation Task; A File Filter object, which is configured with:

• The keyword pdfmerge
• A placeholder title and subtext
• File types for JPEG and PNG images, dragged in from Finder or Alfred results

The File Filter connects as an input into the Automation Task.

A Quick Trick: Adding multiple files with the File Buffer

When browsing Alfred's results, you can use ⌥↑ (Alt + the up or down arrow) to add files to the File Buffer at the top of Alfred's search bar.

Use ⌥↩ (Alt + Return) to take action on all results at once, or ⌥→ (Alt + right arrow) to show the Universal Actions for the Buffer results.

Add a little more convenience

It's great that our workflow can now generate these PDFs, but it'd be even better if it automatically opened the folder containing our generated PDFs in Finder for instant access.

Add an Open File Action at the end of your workflow, configured to open the ~/Desktop/MergedPDF/ folder in Finder.

Our finished workflow

And finally, we can admire our succinct but very useful workflow.

It can be launched in two ways:

• Select files in Finder and use the Universal Action hotkey, which is ⌘/ by default
• Find one or more files via the File Filter, optionally add them to the File Buffer, and use the right arrow to show the Universal Actions

Let us know what you'd like to learn about Automation Tasks next time on the Alfred Forum and share your own workflow creations with us.