Subject: 1 General Questions 


Subject: 1.1 What is PostScript? 

    PostScript is a page description programming language. 

    It is perhaps the most versatile and loved language for printers, 
    being used in printers world-wide. It is capable of drawing to 
    computer screens and any kind of drawing device. PostScript is 
    interpreted, stack based and has latent typing. It somewhat 
    resembles the computer language FORTH. 

    A number of programmers write PostScript programs directly for a 
    variety of drawing applications. However, PostScript programs are 
    usually documents meant to be printed that have been generated by a 
    program written in some compiled language. 


Subject: 1.2 How can I tell how many pages my document will have? 

    The easiest way to count pages is view your document on-line with a 
    PostScript previewer. Some previewers like Ghostview and GSPreview 
    count the pages for you. (See Section 12, ``PostScript Interpreters 
    and Utilities''.) 

    If your document is generated by a program compliant with the 
    Document Structuring Conventions, you should be able to just count 
    the number of ``%%Page:'' comments imbedded in the document. 
    With UNIX you can type 
  
  grep -c %%Page: document.ps
  
    to do this counting. (See Section 9, ``Encapsulated PostScript''.) 

    The only completely reliable way to count pages is to ask the 
    printer after the job is printed. PostScript printers maintain a 
    page counter that can be queried before and and after the job is 
    printed, and the page count is a simple subtraction. This tends to 
    require rather sophisticated spooling systems and a communications 
    channel that is bidirectional. However, some printers allow you to 
    submit jobs on one port, and issue queries on another. 

    Send this PostScript through a bidirectional I/O port and you'll 
    get back the page count, nominally the total number of pages 
    printed since manufacture: 

    statusdict begin pagecount == end flush 

    Experts using a level 2 printer can use the SerialOff.PS and 
    SerialEHandlder.ps programs to communicate bidirectionally to the 
    printer. 


Subject: 1.3 How can I print just one page or a few pages from a big 
    document? How can I print pages in reverse order? 

    Try using a host-specific program, like the UNIX command psrev, 
    which is part of the TranScript suite of software from Adobe 
    Systems. Or use the more general utilities Ghostview, psutils or 
    psxlate. 

    There is no guarantee that a given PostScript document can be split 
    in such a manner. The reason is that some programs which generate 
    PostScript code don't conform to the Adobe Document Structuring 
    Conventions (DSC). (See Section 9, ``Encapsulated PostScript''.) A 
    notable example of this is Microsoft Word. 


Subject: 1.4 How can I print more than one page per sheet of paper? 

    Use psnup or pstext or enscript. 

    These programs redefine the PostScript ``showpage'' command to do 
    multiple PostScript pages per physical page. If one program doesn't 
    work with a complex document, try out other ones. 

    Some PostScript programs can't work with these programs because 
    they break the EPS conventions (See Section 9, ``Encapsulated 
    PostScript''.). The reason is that some Postscript operators (such 
    as initgraphics, the list is in the Red book) change the printer 
    state so "violently", that software trying to do things like n-up 
    will get confused. Theoretically, an EPS shouldn't have any of 
    these operators, but it may not really be an EPS, or there may be a 
    weird interaction between TeX, the EPS and the inclusion mechanism 
    that breaks psnup. 


Subject: 1.5 How can I edit a PostScript picture? 

    If you know the PostScript programming language, just use any text 
    editor to edit the code directly. 

    If you want to do it visually, you can use Canvas on the Macintosh. 


Subject: 1.6 How can I print PostScript on a non-PostScript printer? 

    You need a tool that converts to something that your printer knows 
    how to print. Use Freedom of Press, GhostScript, pageview, TScript, 
    or UltraScript PC. Or, use a printer cartridge if your printer 
    manufacturer sells one. 


Subject: 1.7 What other graphics languages are there? 

    HPGL is for pen plotters. PCL is for HP Laser printers (and 
    compatibles). Both are by HP, and PCL5 is supposed to allow 
    inclusion of HPGL commands, preceded by an appropriate escape code, 
    however I have found this to give errors and abort even for simple 
    HPGL code that plots fine on a plotter.