🚀 go-pugleaf

There is nothing to discuss this, because it is not a standard
PostScript feature.

Some output devices may be able to do this, but that would be a
special feature documented for that device only.

Otherwise, imposition tools are used; these are hard work and involve
rearranging the PostScript, not just adding a "2-up" switch.

Aandi Inston

Using the BeginPage and EndPage procedures defined in the page device dictionary (see the huge section on device control in the PLRM), it is not too hard to implement n-up printing for any printer that supports at least language level 2.

Provided the pages appear in sequence, and aren't to be duplicated -
yes, that's right, but it isn't always possible to do - many
PostScript files will defeat this strategy.

Aandi Inston

I was hoping to be able to write a sed script that takes a post script file and goes through and puts in the 2-up directive. 

2 Questions: 

1) Aandi says "Some output devices may be able to do this but that would be a special feature documented for that device only". Does that mean that 2 up happens at the printer driver level and not the post script level. Or are there obscure non-universal post script directives that achieve n-up? 

2) Helge suggests using Begin and EndPage to achieve this effect but I don't get much of a feel for how you would accomplish that. Can you provide a simple example of how to use these? 

Thanks, 

Rebecca

>1) Aandi says "Some output devices may be able to do this but that would be a special feature documented for that device only". Does that mean that 2 up happens at the printer driver level and not the post script level. Or are there obscure non-universal post script directives that achieve n-up? 

Both.  Some printer drivers attempt to n-up, though this is not always
successful.  Some printers have obscure non-universal directives to
n-up.
>
>2) Helge suggests using Begin and EndPage to achieve this effect but I don't get much of a feel for how you would accomplish that. Can you provide a simple example of how to use these? 

It isn't simple...  at least, I seem to recall trying this and getting
bogged down in details. Long time ago, though.

Aandi Inston

True, PostScript knows about scaling and placement of text, if you wish 
2up or 16up, it's up to you to organize. 
PostScript printers come with a PPD (PostScript Printer Description) 
file **) that details their specialities. 
Some vendors include 2up etc routines there (e.g. for HP4500) that you may 
study. 
Since this is not a speciality, other vendors may not include such code 
for you. 

As for BeginPage - EndPage: I gave up. Once I wrote a routine based on these 
beasts and it worked fine with my printer, but not my Level-2 viewers that 
I wanted to use to to preview my files before sending them to the printer. 

Adobe's DPS executes the showpage operator once, then promptly redefines it, 
with no reference to BeginPage. 
Ghostview has showpage intact as operator, it only screws-up things by passing 
0 as page number to BeginPage all the time. 
You can fix this by doing your own counting, but the basic problem is that 
there is no way to make the thing wait for "enter" to proceed to the next 
batch of pages. 

I wanted the progam to read a character from keyboard for yes, but a DPS can 
write to the screen but can not read from the keyboard. 
It drives me crazy when some PS experts tell me that "you know, printers do not 
have keyboards", when my computer has and a DPS should be able to do such an 
elementary thing. 

So what can you do? If you can program in a compiled language, it is easy to 
write a program that converts a text file to 2up-16up PS program with colours 
etc if you wish. I wrote one in fortran when the first PS printer has 
made its appearance (now you know my age), of course without any supporting 
software. 

To convert 1up PS space-waster programs (e.g. saves from Acroread or Netscape) is more difficult. Long-long ago I wrote another fortran program to look for 
%% conventions, skip unwanted pages and impose new scales on and draw borders 
around the remaining ones. It was a short program but not a simple job. 

Your problem is everyone's problem and I think that is would be quite 
appropriate if Adobe addressed this issue, instead of letting everyone 
fabricate his/her own little solution at a cost of lots of time wasted. 

Miklos Somogyi 

* *) from certain vendors they only "come" if you ask them through a consumer protection agency...

Hi Rebecca, 

Almost through the Acrobat Distiller v.4/5 software is very feasible to manage .PS files to put multiple pages *on physical media*. 

We have developed some utilities coded in PostScript 3 in this direction, for 2-Up pagination with any order. 

Hope this helps, 

MaRC anToni (][ www.femfum.com 
PostScript&PDF Tools Developers

I took a look at a ppd file for an hp4050. You're right. N-up is not simple! Is it possible to use distiller to accomplish N-up? 

If so, can jobs be batched to distiller. 

Or is it more of a synchronous, on-demand kind of thing? 

I'm obviously looking for something automated. 

Thanks, 

Rebecca

Its one of the things (among others) you pay for with those expensive hi-end Print On Demand rips :^)

Have a look at Quite Imposing at http://www.quite.com

>
>I'm obviously looking for something automated. 

People looking for something automated in the imposition line often
end up looking at products like ScenicSoft Preps.

Aandi Inston

Hi Rebecca, 

      Is it possible to use distiller to accomplish N-up?

Yes, with a PS Applet too. I send you off line a little Demo. 

      If so, can jobs be batched to distiller.

Of course ! 

MaRC anToni (][ www.femfum.com 
PostScript&PDF Tools Developers

Thanks very much for the information. I'm signing off for vacation and didn't want to just vanish from the discussion. I will be looking into the solutions suggested above when I return. 

- rebecca - 
rpeet@cats.ucsc.edu

�	�
Hello, 

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Best regards, 
Mark 


�	




Arnis Gubins <agg@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<7q7jru4rmkncnh9v0qovdac95ft3jhitfb@4ax.com>...
> Have a look at Quite Imposing at http://www.quite.com