A PDF binder is a collection of relevant documents in different formats merged into a single PDF file. With the Binder feature in Foxit PDF Editor Pro, you can organize the documents in a specific sequence within the PDF binder and generate a customized TOC (table of contents) based on the documents. Moreover, you can conveniently save the entire set of documents as a binder project or a template for future use. This feature is useful for users such as legal professionals or sales representatives to easily consolidate multiple related documents into one cohesive presentation or report.
If you do not have an existing binder project or template, you can create a binder project from scratch by following these steps:
- Go to File > Create > Binder > Blank Project.
- In the pop-up “Make Binder – [Binder Name]” dialog box (The default Binder Name is “My Binder”), add files you want to add to the PDF binder and customize the document arrangement and TOC generation as required.
- To add files, click the Add… button and choose Add Files or Add Folder to include files from ECM systems or Windows File Explorer. You can also create folders within the binder by clicking the Create Folder button and then add files to the folder by selecting the folder and clicking the Add… button.
The files/folders added will be listed in the dialog box. To reorder them, drag and drop each to the desired location or to a folder. To remove an unwanted file/folder, select it and click the Remove button.
The file list will display columns chosen in the Choose Columns dialog box which appears after you click the Choose Columns button. In the Convert to PDF column, a non-PDF file in the list will be automatically converted to PDF and included in the created PDF binder by default (indicated by a checkmark in the column). If you prefer not to convert it to PDF, you can double-click the value in the column and select a blank option instead of the checkmark, which will result in the file being saved as an attachment in the created PDF binder.
(Optional) Click Options to set a predefined TOC template (a Microsoft Word file) and create custom metadata fields. The custom metadata fields can be used for additional information in the TOC template and the file list columns (displayed in the “Make Binder – [Binder Name]” dialog box).
Setting the TOC template and creating custom metadata fields in the Options dialog box:
1) Under TOC Template Options, enter text in the Name field to specify the title for the TOC page in the output PDF binder document.
The Location field displays the path to the TOC template file. By default, the predefined template file, named “tableofcontents.docx”, is stored within the binder project. To use a different TOC template, enter its path in the Location field or click Browse to import it.
2) Click the Open button next to the Name field to open and edit the TOC template file (a Word document). The TOC template consists of multiple field codes like <<DocName>> for dynamic data insertion. For example, <<DocName>> can be used to insert the document name into the TOC, and <<TableOfContentsName>> is the title of the TOC provided in the Name field.
You can click inside the template where you want to place a custom field and enter the field code. The field code you enter should contain the field name enclosed in double-angle brackets (e.g., <<company>>). You can add the field to multiple locations as needed. Once you finish editing, save the TOC template.
3) Under Custom Metadata Fields, click Add. In the pop-up Add New Custom Metadata Field dialog box, follow these steps to create a custom metadata field:
a) Specify the field name, Display Name (which will be used as a column name in the file list within the “Make Binder – [Binder Name]” dialog box), and Data Type.
b) Select Editable to enable the editing of field values in the file list within the “Make Binder – [Binder Name]” dialog box. Note: Custom metadata fields with a mapping source are non-editable, and data will be automatically populated from the source documents.
c) To create a custom metadata field referencing Microsoft Office properties, double-click the entry in the Mapping Source column within the list box to select a mapping source (Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), and double-click the entry in the Mapping Field column to enter the name of the metadata from Office files (e.g., “Author”).
d) Click OK to save the custom metadata field.
4) The metadata fields you create will be displayed in the Options dialog box. To edit or remove a field, select the field and click Edit or Remove.
5) Once you have completed the settings for the TOC template and custom metadata fields, click OK in the Options dialog box.
- Click Output Options to specify the name and the output folder for the PDF binder and select the following options as required:
- Create table of contents: Generate a TOC page in the PDF binder based on the TOC template set in the Options dialog box.
- Edit table of contents: When selected, you’ll be prompted to edit the TOC in Microsoft Word before the binder creation.
- Open file after making binder: Automatically open the PDF binder file in Foxit PDF Editor after creation.
- Show in Explorer: Automatically open the output folder containing the created PDF binder file after creation.
- Click Choose Columns to customize which columns are displayed in the file list within the "Make Binder – [Binder Name]" dialog box. This includes columns created in the Add New Custom Metadata Field dialog box.
- (Optional) Click Save and choose an option to save the current binder project to local drives or iManage 10 or save the current binder project as a new binder project (.bdr) or template (.bdrt) for future use. Saving the compiled set as a binder project or a template preserves the entire binder structure, including the arrangement of documents, TOC, and any customizations made.
- Click Make Binder to initiate the binder creation process. Alternatively, click Cancel to exit the “Make Binder – [Binder Name]” dialog box.
To create a PDF binder using an existing binder project template stored on your local drive or iManage 10, go to File > Create > Binder > From Custom Template, choose Computer or iManage 10, select the template, and then follow the above steps.
You can edit an existing binder project stored on your local drive or iManage 10. To do so, go to File > Create > Binder > Open, choose Computer or iManage 10, select the project, and make necessary modifications.