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Archive-name: postscript/faq/part5-6
Last-modified: 1993/05/21
Version: 2.1

                              -- PostScript -- 

                            Answers to Questions 

                    (the comp.lang.postscript FAQ v2.1) 

                               Jon Monsarrat 

                              jgm@cs.brown.edu 






                     This FAQ is formatted as a digest. 

                Most news readers can skip from one question 

                     to the next by pressing control-G. 


    Changes since the last version are marked with a '|' in the table 
    of contents and in the sections in the text-only format of the FAQ. 

    Please help fix the FAQ! All comments should be mailed to 
    jgm@cs.brown.edu. My favorite way to receive a change suggestion is 
    when it is accompanied by a section of the FAQ that is edited and 
    mailed to me verbatim as an example. If you would like to 
    contribute, please read the section ``about the FAQ'' first. Thank 
    you! 

    Books and programs are referred to by name only. See the book
    sections for book information, and the comp.sources.postscript FAQ
    for a full list of all PostScript related programs. I have
    archived a number of the small utilities in
    wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/postscript.  You can get the
    comp.sources.postscript FAQ from
    wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/comp.sources.postscript.

Subject: 5 Books 

    There are many good books on PostScript language programming. 
    Descriptions of all known books are listed below. A listing of 
    publisher information follows. 

    The most commonly known books are the ``blue book'', ``big red 
    book'', and ``green book'' from Adobe, to be read in that order. 
    They are nicknamed according for their jacket colors. 

    Other books recommended to me include Thinking in PostScript, 
    which allows its examples to be freely distributed, and PostScript 
    by Example. 


Subject: 5.1 Books 



    Adobe Accurate Screens 
      explains in detail all the issues and specifically covers Adobe 
      Accurate Screens -- Adobes' own screening technology. Peter Fink 
      is an expert on the subject of halftone screens as they relate to 
      color issues. 

      Author: Peter Fink 
      Publisher: Adobe Press, 1992. 
      ISBN 0-672-48544-3 
      Library Call # ??? 


|   Adobe Illustrator - The Expert Advisor Series 
|
|     Author: Diane Burns, S. Venit, David Smith 
|     Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1989 
|     ISBN: 0-201-14397-6 
|     Cost: $ 22.95 


|   Adobe Illustrator 3 Complete 
|
|     Author: Sharyn Venit 
|     Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1991 
|     ISBN: 0-201-57756-9 
|     Cost: $ 24.95 


|   Adobe Illustrator 3.0 - The Official Handbook for Designers 
|
|     Author: Frederic Davis, Tony Bove, Cheryl Rhodes 
|     Publisher: Bantam Books, 1991 
|     ISBN: 0-553-35385-3 
|     Cost: $ 26.95 


|   The Adobe Illustrator 3.2 Designer's Guide 
|
|     Author: David Holzgang 
|     Publisher: Sybex, Inc., 1992 
|     ISBN: 0-7821-1002-9 
|     Cost: $ 24.95 


    Adobe Type 1 Font Format, ``the black book'' 

      This is the specification for the Type 1 font format. Type 1 
      fonts are the standard outline format found in Adobe PostScript 
      printers, implementations of the Display PostScript system, and 
      available as downloadable fonts from the Adobe Type Library. This 
      document describes the syntax of the Adobe Type 1 font format, 
      including complete information regarding hints, encoding of 
      character outlines, and the charstring and eexec encryption 
      algorithms. 

      Author: Adobe Systems Inc 
      Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1990. 
      ISBN: 0-201-57044-0 


|   Build Your Own PostScript Laser Printer & Save a Bundle 
|
|     Author: Horace LaBadie Publisher: T A B Books, 1991 
|     ISBN: 0-8306-3738-9 
|     Cost: $ 16.95 


    Creating Special Effects on the Macintosh 

      Author: David Holzgang 
      Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1992 
      ISBN 0-201-57779-8 


|   Design Essentials with Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop 
|
|     Author: Adobe Press Staff 
|     Publisher: Hayden, 1992. 
|     ISBN: 0-672-48538-9 
|     Cost: $ 39.95 


|   Design Techniques with Adobe Illustrator 
|
|     Author: Linda Miles, Betty Wilson 
|     Publisher: Sams, 1992 
|     ISBN: 0-672-30205-5 Cost: $ 39.95 


    Display PostScript Programming 

      Author: David A. Holzgang 
      Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1990 
      ISBN: 0-201-51814-7 
      Cost: $ 24.95 


    Encapsulated PostScript: Application Guide for the Macintosh and 
    the PC 
      has its focus is EPS. However, it is an excellent book full of 
      actual real life PostScript and Encapsulated PostScript 
      applications on Macs, PCs, Unix, IBM mainframe, and other 
      computer systems. 

      Author: Peter Vollenweider 
      Publisher: Prentice Hall 1990 
      ISBN: 0-13-275-843-1 
      Cost: $ 34.67 


    Graphic Design With PostScript 

      Author: Gerard Kunkel 
      Publisher: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1990 
      ISBN 0-673-38794-1 
      Library Call # Z286.D47K87 


|   Halftoning with Adobe Accurate Screens 
|
|     Author: Peter Fink 
|     Publisher: Hayden, 1992 
|     Cost: $ 29.95 


    Hands On PostScript 

      This is an introduction to PostScript for the novice or casual 
      user. PostScript programming principles are introduced in the 
      context of useful projects (e.g. greeting cards, letterhead, 
      multi-page posters). The book includes five PostScript driver 
      projects in Basic, Pascal, and C. A 3.5" DOS formatted diskette 
      is included with all the source code. It does not cover 
      PostScript level 2. 

      Author: Michael Spring and David Dubin 
      Publisher: Hayden Books, 1992 
      ISBN 0-672-30185-7 
      Library Call # 92-71207 Cost: $ 29.95. 


    Inside the Apple LaserWriter 

      Author: Roger Hart 
      Publisher: Scott, Foresman, 1989 
      ISBN 0-673-38064-5 
      Library Call # : TK7887.7.H38 


    Inside PostScript 
      essentially takes one on a tour of the standard internal 
      PostScript code in most printers. The author has worked 
      extensively with an interpreter. (in PostScript terms, no 
      low-level hardware stuff here like cexec and internaldict). 

      Author: Frank Merritt Braswell 
      Publisher: Systems of Merritt & Peachpit Press 1989 
      ISBN 0-938151-10-X 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67 B73 1989 
      Cost: about $ 40. 


|   Laserwriter Reference 
|
|     Author: Apple Computer 
|     Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1988 
|     ISBN: 0-201-19258-6 
|     Cost: $ 19.95 


    Learning PostScript, A Visual Approach 
      is a tutorial on the PostScript language. It is very appealing, 
      very easy to follow and filled with examples. Each example 
      occupies two pages. A brief explanation and source code is on the 
      left page, and the resultant print-out is on the facing right 
      page. The book starts off very simply for beginners, and covers a 
      lot of material at the end for experts. It was written before 
      level 2 PostScript. 

      In the later half of the book, a few examples can executed only 
      if an additional disk is purchased. 

      The code for LPAVA is $ 20 from Smith Consultants, 834 Third St., 
      Suite B, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, U.S.A. fax number: 415-524-9775 

      Author: Ross Smith 
      Publisher: Peachpit Press, 1990 ISBN 0-938151-12-6 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67S55 
      Cost: $ 22.95 


    Linotronic Imaging Handbook 

      Author: James Cavuoto, Stephen Beale 
      Publisher: Micro Publishing Press, 1990 
      ISBN 0-941845-06-0 
      Cost: $ 27.95 


    Mastering Adobe Illustrator 
      ??? 

      Author: David A. Holzgang Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1988 ISBN 
      ??? 

      Library Call # ??? 


    Mastering Adobe Illustrator 88 

      Author: Deke McClelland and Craig Danuloff 
      Publisher: Publishing Resources Inc.-Dow Jones Irwin 1988 
      ISBN: 1-55623-157-1 
      Cost: $ 27.95 


|   Official Adobe Photoshop Handbook 
|
|     Author: David Biedny 
|     Publisher: Bantam Books, 1991 
|     ISBN: 0-553-34876-0 
|     Cost: $ 27.95 


    PostScript by Example 
      is a tutorial for PostScript people at all levels. It covers 
      level 2 PostScript. The book starts at novice level and works 
      through to Level Two composite fonts, patterns, forms, color, 
      halftones, Display PostScript rectangle operators and text 
      operators. It contains a chapter on practical issues of 
      downloading fonts, talking to printers, and error handling. 640 
      pages containing over 500 fragments of PostScript code and over 
      750 illustrations. A long-awaited ``upgrade'' to the Blue Book. 

      Henry McGilton can be reached by email as henry@trilithon.com. 
      Mary Campione can be reached by email as mem@taranis.com. 

      A disk containing 13,000 lines of PostScript code from the book 
      can be ordered separately for $ 20 from: Trilithon Software, Two 
      Ohlone, Portola Valley, CA 94028, U.S.A. 

      Or, send email to info@trilithon.mpk.ca.us. 

      Authors: Henry McGilton and Mary Campione 
      Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1992. 
      ISBN 0-201-63228-4 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67M34 


    A PostScript Cookbook 

      Author: Barry Thomas 
      Publisher: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989. 
      ISBN: 0-442-23686-7 
      Cost: $ 9.98 


|   Programming the Display PostScript System with Next Step 
|
|     Author: Adobe Systems Inc. 
|     Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1991 
|     ISBN: 0-201-58135-3 
|     Cost: $ 26.95 


|   Programming the Display PostScript System with X 
|     is written specifically for developers using the X Window System. 
|     It is intended to help X application developers improve quality, 
|     optimize performance, and minimize development cost. Featuring a 
|     Programming Guide with advice on how to write robust, efficient 
|     Display PostScript applications, the book also contains a new 
|     Toolkit manual and the standard Display PostScript reference 
|     manuals. 
|
|     Author: Adobe Systems Inc. 
|     Publisher: Addison-Wesley 
|     Cost: $ 26.95 


|   PostScript Font Handbook - A Directory of Type 1 Fonts 
|
|     Author: Jonathan Grosvenor 
|     Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1992. 
|     ISBN: 0-201-56893-4 
|     Cost: $ 24.95 


    PostScript fuer Workstations 

      Dieses Buch ist in Deutsche geschrieben. Es beschreibt PostScript 
      fuer Workstations, mit Display PostScript, PostScript 2, und 
      Farben. 

      This book is written in German. It describes using PostScript on 
      workstations. It covers Display PostScript, PostScript Level 2, 
      and colors. 

      Author: Peter Vollenweider (rzuvo@rzu.unizh.ch) 

      Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1992. 

      ISBN 3-89319-459-2 


    PostScript Language Program Design, ``the green book'' 
      is intended to teach the fundamentals of designing PostScript 
      language programs and to show how the language works, so the your 
      programs will be fast, well-behaved, easy to understand, and 
      portable. 

      Code Examples: $ 15 from the developer support hotline. Free from 
      the Adobe mail server (see Section 6, ``About Adobe''). 

      Author: Glenn Reid, Adobe Systems 
      Publisher: Addison Wesley 1988 
      ISBN 0-201-14396-8 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67R45 1988 
      Cost: $ 22.95 


    PostScript Language Reference Manual (2nd ed), ``the big red book'' 
      is the book that defines the PostScript language. The second 
      edition not only defines Level 1 PostScript, but also encompasses 
      the color, composite font, file system, and DPS extensions and 
      the PostScript language Level 2. 

      Author: Adobe Systems Incorporated 
      Publisher: Addison Wesley 1985, 1990 
      ISBN 0-201-18127-4 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67P67 1990 
      Cost: $ 28.95 


    PostScript Language Reference Manual (1st ed), ``the old red book'' 
      is the first edition of the reference manual. It describes 
      PostScript level 1 only. It is a subset of the PostScript level 2 
      book, but is still more common and costs less. 

      Author: Adobe Systems Inc. 
      Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1985. 
      ISBN 0-201-10174-2 
      Library Call # ??? 


    PostScript Language Tutorial and Cookbook, ``the blue book'' 
      is the most common tutorial book on PostScript. It provides an 
      easy, informal introduction to the PostScript language and 
      graphics primitives. The cookbook is a collection of programs 
      that are offered as examples of PostScript usage. These samples 
      have been chosen both as illustrations of the functional range of 
      PostScript and as useful ingredients for inclusion in application 
      packages. 

      Code Examples: $ 15 from the developer support hotline. Free from 
      the Adobe mail server (see Section 6, ``About Adobe''). 

      Author: Adobe Systems Incorporated 

      Publisher: Addison Wesley 1985, 1990 
      ISBN 0-201-10179-3 
      Library Call # : QA76.73.P67P67 1985 
      Cost: $ 16.75 


    PostSCript Programmer's Reference Guide 
      is an authoritative guidance for programmers, developers, or 
      anyone who wants to get the most out of PostScript. It offers 
      clear instructions, a complete language reference section, and a 
      cookbook of hands-on sample routines. (avail for $ 20 extra on 
      disk) ... It includes complete information on PhoenixPage/PS, 
      Phoenix Technologies' fully PostScript-compatible language. 

      Author: David Holzgang 
      Publisher: Scott, Foresman & Co 
      ISBN 0-673-38574-4 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67H64 
      Cost: $ 24.95 


    Programming the Display PostScript System with NeXTstep, ``The 
    Purple Book'' 
      is written for the NeXT programming environment; however, much of 
      the information it contains applies to all Display PostScript 
      developers. The book explains the language extensions commonly 
      used within applications, describes many of the key aspects of 
      the PostScript language imaging model, and provides a framework 
      for creating Display PostScript language applications. 

      Author: Adobe Systems, Inc (principal author: Ken Fromm) 
      Publisher: Addison-Wesley 
      ISBN 0-201-58135-3 
      Library Call # QA76.73.P67P76 
      Cost: $ 26.95 


    Programming the LaserWriter 

      Author: David Holzgang 
      Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1991 
      ISBN: 0-201-57068-8 
      Library Call # TK7887.7.H65 
      Cost: $ 24.95 


|   Rapid Reference Guide To System 7, The Laserwriter Family, 
|   Hypercard 
|
|     Author: Michael Fraase 
|     Publisher: DOWI, 1992 
|     ISBN: 1556239025 
|     Cost: $ 24.95 


    Real World PostScript: Techniques from PostScript professionals - 
    ``The Orange Book'' 
      is a collection of articles dealing with ``real world'' 
      PostScript language issues and specific applications such as font 
      creation, color separation, kerning, halftoning, various other 
      topics. 

      It contains a text formatter written in PostScript, and 
      concentrates on doing very sophisticated things with fonts and 
      dictionaries. 

      Short overview of chapters: 

      PostScript As A Design Tool; PostScript As A Programming 
      Language; Writing Device Independent PostScript; Kerning, 
      Tracking And Letterspacing, Precise Character Bounding Boxes; 
      Building Fonts; Building Smart Fonts; Font Encoding Vector 
      Compatibility; Building A PostScript Typeface; PostScript Color 
      Operations; PostScript Color Separations; A Spread From Graphic 
      Perspective; A PostScript Four-Color Poster; Graphing And 
      Typesetting With PostScript; The Evolution Of A Complex Geometric 
      Logo 

      Author: Stephen F. Roth, editor. 
      Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1988. 
      ISBN: 0-201-06663-7 
      Library Call # Z286.D47R4 1988 
      Cost: $ 22.95 


    Running PostScript from MS-DOS, 5.1 
      provides a good and brief introduction to PostScript and has lots 
      of useful information on printing PostScript from PCs. 

      Author: Gary Glover 
      Publisher: T A B Books, 1989. 
      ISBN: 0-8306-0135-X 
      Library Call # : QA76.73.P67G56 
      Cost: $ 24.95 


    Taking Advantage of PostScript 
      is very graphically and visually oriented and includes a section 
      on PostScript Level 2. 

      Author: John F. Sherman 
      Publisher: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1991. 
      ISBN: 0-697-14032-6 


    Thinking in PostScript 
      is a guide to developing programming techniques and to learning 
      how to use the PostScript tool kit. In this book you can find 
      some useful techniques even if you think of yourself as an expert 
      PS programmer. It overlaps very little with existing material. 
      You can find there numerous practical examples in all areas of PS 
      language programming, including the Display PS system. In this 
      volume you will also find: (a) never-before-published information 
      on the PS language (b) useful algorithms for loops, conditionals, 
      and I/O (c) detailed coverage of files, strings, and dictionaries 
      (d) simple and elegant programming techniques 

      The books comes recommended by many. There are also exercises 
      after each Chapter with the results at the end of the book. You 
      can really find examples how to define new useful operators or 
      procedures which you cannot find in the Adobe books. 

      To get the examples from the book for free, send email to the 
      author, glenn@rightbrain.com. 

      Author: Glenn C. Reid 

      Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1989 
      ISBN 0-201-52372-8 
      Library Call # : QA76.73.P67R46 Cost: $ 22.95 


    Understanding PostScript, 3rd edition 

      Author: David A. Holzgang 
      Publisher: Sybex, 1992 
      ISBN: 0-7821-1059-2 
      Cost: $ 29.95 


    Understanding PostScript Programming, Second Edition 
      ??? 

      Author: David Holzgang 
      Publisher: Sybex, 1988. 
      ISBN 0-89588-566-2 
      Library Call # : ??? 


    The Verbum Book of PostScript Illustration 

      Authors: Michael Gosney, Janet Ashford, and Linnea Dayton 
      Publisher: M & T Books, 1990. 
      ISBN 1-55851-089-3 
      Library Call # : QA76.73.P67G57 
      Cost: $ 29.95 


Subject: 5.2 Publishers 

    Most of the above books should be available in any big bookstore 
    that has a computer section. Or contact the publishers: 



    Addison-Wesley, 
      Retail Sales Group, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., One 
      Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867, U.S.A. Phone 800-447-2226 or 
      617-944-3700, Fax 617-942-1117. 

    Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 
      2200 Powell Street, Emeryville, California 94608 U.S.A. Phone 
      (510) 601-4000 

    Adobe Press 
      ??? 

    Bantam Computer Books 
      New York, NY, U.S.A. 

    Wm. C. Brown, Publishers 
      Dubuque, IA, U.S.A. 

    Hayden Books, 
      11711 N. College Ave., Carmel, IN 46032. 

    Micro Publishing Press 
      21150 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 104, Torrance, California 90503 
      U.S.A. 

    Peachpit Press, 
      1085 Keith Ave., Berkeley, CA 94708, U.S.A. 800-283-9444, or 
      415-527-8555. 

    Prentice Hall 
      Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 

    Scott, Foresman and Company 
      1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025 

    Publishing Resources Inc.-Dow Jones Irwin 
      ??? 

    Sams 
      Carmel, IN, U.S.A. 

    Sybex 
      2021 Challenger Drive, # 100, Alameda, California 94501. 

    T A B Books 
      Blue Ridge Summit, PA, U.S.A. 

    Windcrest Books 
      Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania 17294-0850 

    Van Nostrand Reinhold 
      New York, NY, U.S.A. 

      You can purchase the red, blue, green, and black books from Adobe 
      Systems by calling 800-83-FONTS. 


Subject: 6 About Adobe 

    PostScript was created by Adobe Systems Incorporated, which offers 
    information and sells programs pertaining to PostScript. 

    Currently the only large PostScript company that I have information 
    on is Adobe. I would be happy to include information about others. 


Subject: 6.1 How do I get in touch with Adobe? 

  
  Adobe Systems Incorporated      Main phone: +1-415-961-4400
  1585 Charleston Road            Main FAX:   +1-415-961-3769
  P.O. Box 7900
  Mountain View, CA 94039-7900
  

    If you want technical help using Adobe retail products (e.g. ATM, 
    Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fonts): Adobe forum on CompuServe, call 
    1-408-986-6500 (for Macintosh) or 1-408-986-6530 (for Windows, 
    Unix) Also use this number to report bugs in retail products. Adobe 
    also has an automated tech support line, which will fax technical 
    notes and product literature to you, and attempt to answer common 
    questions via a menu-driven system. That number is 1-800-235-0078. 

    For sales information on Adobe retail products (prices, catalogues, 
    etc.), call +1-800-235-0078 (fax-back brochures) or +1-800-833-6687 
    (applications sales) 

    The Developer's Hotline is +1-415-961-4111 (Voicemail) (note: 
    members have priority, but they'll take questions from general 
    public.) Also use this number for information about the ADA or 
    Adobe SDK's. 

    To suggest product enhancements, write or fax to ``Product Manger, 
    product name' at address above. 

    In Europe: Adobe Systems BV, Europlaza, Hoogoorddreef 51a, 1101 BE 
    Amsterdam Z-O, NETHERLANDS. TEL +31-20-65-11-200. FAX 
    +31-20-65-11-300. 

    In the eastern United States: Adobe Sys. Inc., 24 New England 
    Executive Park, Burlington MA 01803. TEL +1-617-273-2120. FAX 
    +1-617-273-2336. 

    In Japan: Adobe Systems Japan, Swiss Bank House, 4-1-8 Toranomon, 
    Minato ku, Tokyo 105 JAPAN. TEL +81-3-3437-8950. FAX 
    +81-3-3437-8968. 


Subject: 6.2 What can Adobe do for me? 

    Adobe is just one of many companies producing products for 
    PostScript, but it does produce a lot of the best. 

    Adobe offers two resources for software developers. 

   1. Membership in the Adobe Developers Association (ADA) ( $ 
      195/year) 

   2. PostScript Language Software Development Kit (SDK) ( $ 500, $ 250 
      for ADA) 

    The Developer's Association is Adobe's way of knowing who has a 
    serious interest in technical information. Membership includes 
    monthly technical newsletter, phone technical support, discounts on 
    software and hardware. Membership is $ 195/year for each 
    individual. 

    The PostScript Language Software Development Kits collect all 
    Adobe's technical literature for a given platform into a single 
    package. There are four versions, for the Mac, MS-DOS/Windows, 
    NeXTStep, and X/Windows. Each SDK is $ 500 list, $ 250 for ADA 
    members. 

    A selection of technical documents is available from Adobe's file 
    server, including the aforementioned EPS specification. Programs 
    are also available, including level 1 emulations for the level 2 
    color operators. For more information on this, send the one-word 
    message ``help'' to ps-file-server@adobe.com. Or you can ftp to 
    ftp.adobe.com. These documents are also available by mail; call the 
    Developers Line and ask for the documents catalog. 

    The ps-file-server contains some specs, tech notes, sample 
    programs, plus a large collection of AFM files and PPD files. Send 
    a message containing ``help'' to ps-file-server@adobe.com for more 
    information. You can get these files for free with email.