Split View PDF: View Two PDFs at Once

How do you compare the contents of two PDFs? You can use two devices to open the PDFs. It could be your computer and your phone. But that's inconvenient. There is a better solution. You just need a PDF editor that offers a Split View PDF feature. One of the top tools you can use is Wondershare PDFelement. Here's how to use it and more information about split view PDF software.

Part 1. How To View Two PDFs Simultaneously Using Wondershare PDFelement

Wondershare PDFelement's Split View feature lets you view two pages of a PDF at once. But that means it still can only display one PDF at a time. Technically, that is correct. However, Wondershare PDFelement also has a Combine PDFs feature. This is the key to viewing two PDFs side-by-side using Wondershare PDFelement.

Follow these steps to combine two PDFs with Wondershare PDFelement:

1. Launch Wondershare PDFelement.
2. Click Combine PDFs.

3. Click Add files and select the PDFs that you want to merge.

4. Click Apply.

5. Wondershare PDFelement will combine the PDFs and will automatically open the output.

Part 2. How To View PDFs Side-by-Side Horizontally

Suppose the pages in your PDF are in landscape orientation. You'd want to put one on the top and another on the bottom rather than on the left and right sides. This will allow you to see and compare the contents better.

After combining the two PDFs using the method above, follow these steps:

1. Click View.
2. Click the Page View button, which is in between the Zoom and Background buttons.

3. Click Split View > Split Horizontally.

4. Your cursor over the bottom section and scroll down to the first page of the second PDF. Now, you can see two PDFs at once.

Part 3. How To View PDFs Side-by-Side Vertically

The best way to view two PDFs side-by-side is by putting one PDF on the left and another on the right. Wondershare PDFelement's Split View tool allows you to do this. For that, use Wondershare PDFelement's Split Vertically tool. Here's how:

1. Click View.
2. Click the Page View button, which is in between the Zoom and Background buttons.
3. Click Split View > Split Vertically.

4. Hover your mouse over the PDF on the right and scroll down to the first page of the second PDF. You can now see two PDFs in one window.

Part 4. When Would You Need to Use Split View for Reading PDFs

In what scenarios would you want to use the features above? Here are some examples.

PDF Comparison

As mentioned above, you may want to do a PDF comparison. Perhaps you have the original file and one that's edited by someone else. You can use the Split View PDF tool to look for differences. Likewise, you may want to use it when viewing two different PDFs that cover the same subject.

Cross-Referencing Sections

Split View is useful when you need to reference one part of a PDF while reading another. For example, you can have the main body of the text on the left side and a glossary, footnotes, or appendices on the right side.

Reading Long PDFs

Sometimes, you don't have to open two PDFs at once, but the one you need to read is very long. You may want to look at two of its pages that mentioned related things to check for accuracy or understand the subject better. Using the Split View feature, you can read the PDF on one side and look for the pages containing the related information on the other.

Translating the PDF

If you are translating the PDF, viewing PDF pages side by side can also help. You can have the page containing the original text on one side and the translated text or the page you are editing on the other. This will help streamline the process or check for possible mistranslations by translation tools.

Part 5. Tips for Using Split Screen PDF Tools Effectively

Here are some tips that can help you make the most out of split-screen PDF tools.

Adjust the Window Layout

Sometimes, you need to see more of one PDF page and less of the other page. Wondershare PDFelement has a solution for this. You can adjust the height of each section when using the Split Vertically tool. Likewise, you can adjust the width of the two sections when using the Split Horizontally tool.

Utilize the Zoom Features

You may notice that the PDF pages seem smaller when using a Split View PDF tool. The programs automatically zoom out to be able to fit two pages on one screen. It makes it a little harder to read. But don't worry. You can use Wondershare PDFelement's Zoom features to improve readability. For example, when using View Horizontally, you can select the Fill Width setting to remove the empty spaces and zoom in on the PDF contents.

Use Split Screen for Quick Navigation

Using the Split View feature for quick PDF navigation is wise. You can use one side of the screen to read the PDF. Then, you can set the other to the Table of Contents page. This way, when you want to look for specific information, you can quickly jump to that page without leaving the page that you are reading.

Use Split View for Form Filling

Wondershare PDFelement's Split View also helps you fill up forms faster. Picture this: you need to fill out a form using information from another PDF. Instead of using two PDF tabs, you can view them on the same screen. As such, you can copy-paste information repeatedly more quickly and easily.

Bonus: How To Split the PDFs?

Wondershare PDFelement lets you put two PDFs side by side, but it requires you to combine them. That said, after editing the documents, you will need to split them. Wondershare PDFelement can also help you with this. You can use the Split or Extract features to separate the documents. Here's how to use them.

How To Separate the Combined PDFs Using the Split Features

If the two PDFs have an equal amount of pages, you can use this feature.

1. Click Organize > Split.
2. Select Split PDF.

3. Under "Split by number of pages," enter the number of pages of each PDF.

4. Click OK.

How To Separate the PDFs Using the Extract Feature

You can use this if the two PDFs don't have an equal amount of pages.

1. Click Organize > Extract.
2. Select Custom.
3. Enter the page numbers of the ones you want to put in a separate PDF. For example, type 6-10.
4. Check the box for Delete pages after extracting.
5. Click OK.
6. Save the active PDF.

Conclusion

You can use Split View PDF tools for many things, including comparing two PDFs, translating a PDF, and more. It can give you a big boost in productivity.

If you are looking for a great tool that lets you view two PDFs side by side, check Wondershare PDFelement. It is a feature-rich PDF solution that offers two settings for viewing two PDFs in a split screen. Furthermore, Wondershare PDFelement gives you access to other useful tools like a PDF merger, OCR, and form recognition.