Daily Mac App: Gelatin

Some tasks need a really simple, straightforward, no-nonsense app to get the job done. Combining PDF files is one of those tasks, and Gelatin is the app to do it.

Preview can do a similar thing, but it's certainly not as straightforward as Gelatin. The app offers a window to drag-and-drop the files you want combined together onto. Select them in finder in the order you want them melded and drop them onto Gelatin. The app will take care of the rest spitting out a PDF with all the files you've dropped onto it joined end-to-end.

You can take the file and edit it up with Preview, email it off or save it. Gelatin is free for a limited time and is worth a download for the shear ease of use. If you ever need to combine PDF files, making Gelatin part of your workflow could save you time and effort.

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Source: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gelatin/id468374949?mt=12

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Software Mac

Some tasks need a really simple, straightforward, no-nonsense app to get the job done. Combining PDF files is one of those tasks, and...

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Micheal Hickerson

Just this week, I discovered the free version of PDF OCR X, which converts a single page PDF into a searchable PDF or text:
http://solutions.weblite.ca/pdfocrx/

I'm planning on using PDF OCR X plus either Gelatin or an Automator workflow to scan and convert some paper I've had filed away.

November 10 2011 at 1:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kyle Cronin

sheer

November 10 2011 at 4:57 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Dave Stephens

I just snapped this app up - it's FREE today - dunno about tomorrow. Merging PDFs quickly and simply is very useful to artists like myself who often have to send clients a bunch of sketches for approval. Thanks!

November 09 2011 at 6:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Chris Craigen

30 seconds with Automator and you can easily do this yourself. I made this exact app 3 years ago.

November 09 2011 at 5:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kevin S

I thought preview's method was pretty straightforward too.
Just open up preview, drag the files into the sidebar in the order you want, then save the resulting file.

Seems a tad easier to me than making sure they're in the right order in finder...

November 09 2011 at 4:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kevin

I wrote an Automator workflow to do this years ago. It's one of the few useful things I've been able to get Automator to do. I put it on a context menu, so I just select two or more PDF files in the Finder, right-click, and choose PDF combine. The resulting combined PDF opens in Preview. Then I Save As to the new name.

I'm not knocking Gelatin, especially at the current price (free!). I'd have paid a couple of bucks for it if I didn't have my own tool.

November 09 2011 at 3:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

skwidspawn

This can be done in Automator extremely easy. Just use the "Combine PDF pages" action. Save as an App, and now you can drop PDFs onto the app to merge them.

November 09 2011 at 3:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply