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Started by Jonathan Monsarrat
Sat, 09 Jan 1993 03:07
PostScript monthly FAQ v2.01 11-30-92 [12 of 12]
Author: Jonathan Monsarrat
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1993 03:07
Date: Sat, 09 Jan 1993 03:07
1525 lines
57374 bytes
57374 bytes
Archive-name: postscript-faq/part12
Last-modified: 1992/11/30
Version: 2.01
-- PostScript --
Answers to Questions
(the comp.lang.postscript FAQ v2.01)
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.
No changes since the last posting.
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
appropriate sections for full information.
Subject: 12 PostScript Interpreters and Utilities
I would like very much to be able to recommend some of these
programs over others. Unfortunately, I have very little information
about most of them. Please send information or additions! Programs
without significant information will be dropped shortly.
Included in this index are a number of ASCII to PostScript
conversion programs. These are quick and dirty programs, and it is
unclear why having so many of them is interesting, so many will
probably be deleted (send mail about the ones you like most). If
you really want to convert ASCII to PostScript in a high quality
way, what you want is a real text formatter. (See the FAQ for
comp.text and comp.text.tex)
If you have a program, please let me know. Section 10, ``About the
FAQ'' has some hints on what I'm hoping to get when I get a program
description.
I am grateful to Howard Gayle (howard@hal.com) for a large portion
of the below information.
Subject: 12.1 How can I find a program?
To find a program, try using an ``archie'' server. Archie will
figure out which FTP sites have the program that you are looking
for. Please try archie before asking people for the program.
I would be happy to answer questions about where to get programs.
Just send me email. If you find a good ftp site for these programs,
please let me know.
To use archie, just type ``archie'' or ``xarchie''. If you don't
have that program, then you can telnet to one of the following
addresses and type ``archie'' as the username. To get help type
``help''.
archie.rutgers.edu 128.6.18.15 (Rutgers University)
archie.unl.edu 129.93.1.14 (University of Nebraska in Lincoln)
archie.sura.net 128.167.254.179 (SURAnet archie server)
archie.ans.net 147.225.1.2 (ANS archie server)
archie.au 139.130.4.6 (Australian server)
archie.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 (European server in Finland)
archie.doc.ic.ac.uk 146.169.11.3 (UK/England server)
archie.cs.huji.ac.il 132.65.6.15 (Israel server)
archie.wide.ad.jp 133.4.3.6 (Japanese server)
If you don't have telnet, send email to archie at any of the above
sites with the subject ``help''.
Subject: 12.2 How can I browse through PostScript programs?
To find ftp sites that carry PostScript programs, try ``archie
postscript''. Then use ftp to look through them.
Subject: 12.3 Keywords
What:
Bounding-Box
Determines the bounding box of a PostScript program (so it can
be converted to EPSF for example).
Converts
The program converts back and forth between formats such as:
ASCII, PostScript, TeX, Images, PCL
Converts-Images
A program that converts to too many image formats to name!
Device-Utility
A utility for a PostScript device.
Document-Previewer
The previewer has options for viewing text documents. NOTE:
most previewers make passable document previewer even without
these extra options.
Example
The source code for this program is a programming example for
programmers.
Font-Utility
The program does something useful with font descriptions.
Interpreter
The program can understand the PostScript language.
Level-2
The program can interpret a reasonable amount of PostScript
level 2.
Non-PostScript-Printer-Driver
The program allows PostScript drawings to be printed on at
least one non-PostScript printer.
Page-Reordering
The program allows you to either choose a page or a few pages
to print from a big document, or lets you print in reverse
order, or lets you ``N-Up'', which means to put more than one
page on a physical page. These programs work only if the
PostScript input follows the Adobe Document Structuring
Conventions. (See Section 9, ``Encapsulated PostScript'').
Previewer
The interpreter displays PostScript on the screen.
Programmer-Utility
The program helps write PostScript programs.
Text-Formatter
The program formats text in some interesting way, or lets you
include PostScript in a text formatter.
Written-in-PostScript
The program is written entirely in PostScript and thus can run
on any computer with an interpreter, or on any PostScript
printer.
Status
Shareware
means that the program is free but the author would like
money.
Free
means that the program is freely available. This usually means
that source code is included and that it is freely
distributable.
Commercial
means that some company sells the program.
Platforms:
What computers does it run on? For the IBM PC, look for
``MS-DOS''. For most workstations, look for ``UNIX''.
Get-From
tells where to get the program, through ftp or some other
source.
Subject: 12.4 Interpreters
The following are all programs that understand the PostScript
graphics programming language. PostScript is an interpreted
language, which means that there is no compiler for it. An
interpreter is like a compiler that, instead of producing a
sequence of actions in machine language for the computer to handle
at some future time, performs the actions itself immediately.
Most interpreters are also previewers, which allow you to view the
PostScript drawing as it is created by the PostScript program.
Unfortunately, viewing the document on-line is not guaranteed to be
a perfect simulation of printing the document. Complex programs
that use random numbers or check the device type will almost
certainly run differently.
Some interpreters are meant for looking at text documents without
printing them. They usually have a number of functions for flipping
back and forth between pages. These interpreters are called
document previewers.
Canvas 3.0
???
What: Previewer
Status: commercial (more than $ 50)
Platforms: Macintosh
Get-From: ???
Freedom of Press
???
For most users who only want to print to common printers like
DeskWriters, StyleWriters, or Personal LaserWriter LS's, the
light version of Freedom of the Press will suffice. ( $ 55).
What: Interpreter, Non-PostScript-Printer-Driver
Status: commercial ( $ 55)
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ???
Gammascript
???
What: Interpreter
Status: ???
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: ???
Ghostscript
is perhaps the most popular previewer. It is a PostScript
interpreter written by L. Peter Deutsch, and is distributed under
the terms of the GNU Library General Public License. Unlike
commercial interpreters, ghostscript isn't tied to a particular
piece of hardware. Ghostscript will compile on most common
platforms, and has drivers for many common peripherals, including
X11R [ 345 ] , MS-DOS-VGA, Deskjet 500, Epson dot matrix
printers, and HP laserjets.
Ghostscript deals well with "normal" documents, such as output
from Tomas Rokicki's dvips. If you're into testing the outer
limits of PostScript, however, your mileage with Ghostscript may
vary. The output character quality is (obviously) dependent upon
the fonts which ghostscript uses. Most of ghostscript's fonts are
outlines generated from the bitmap fonts that were donated by
Adobe to the X consortium. These are certainly good enough for
screen previewing, and rough drafts, but show their limitations
when used on laser printers. Fortunately, Ghostscript can use
type 1 fonts, so if you happen to have some around, you'll find
that the output quality is very close to that of a PostScript
interpreter. Ghostscript comes with a few type 1 fonts that were
donated to the X consortium from Adobe, IBM, and Bitstream. Note
that if you're using TeX or LaTeX with the cmr fonts, this last
statement implies that ghostscript will probably suit your needs,
since your dvi-to-ps converter will include the cmr fonts in its
output PostScript file.
If you're using IBM OS/2 2.0, you can make a Ghostscript icon and
drag PostScript files onto it and they'll be printed
automatically.
Ghostscript 2.2 has been ported to the Atari ST platform by
Timothy Gallivan. It's available by ftp to
atari.archive.umich.edu.
For more information about Ghostscript, read the
gnu.ghostscript.bug newsgroup, or contact the author, Peter
Deutsch, at ghost@aladdin.com.
What: Interpreter, Previewer, Programmer-Utility, User-Utility,
Non-PostScript-Printer-Driver, Level-2,
Converts-PostScript-to-GIF, Converts-PostScript-to-PBM.
Status: free
Platforms: MS-DOS, UNIX, VMS, Xwindows, Atari-ST.
Get-From:
Japan: ftp.cs.titech.ac.jp, utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp:ftpsync/prep
Australia: archie.oz.au:gnu Europe: src.doc.ic.ac.uk:gnu,
ftp.informatik.tu-muenchen.de,
ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de:pub/gnu, nic.funet.fi:pub/gnu,
ugle.unit.no, isy.liu.se, ftp.stacken.kth.se, sunic.sunet.se,
ftp.win.tue.nl, ftp.diku.dk, ftp.eunet.ch, archive.eu.net
United States: ftp.cs.wisc.edu:pub/X, prep.ai.mit.edu:pub/gnu,
wuarchive.wustl.edu, ftp.cs.widener.edu, uxc.cso.uiuc.edu,
col.hp.com, gatekeeper.dec.com:pub/GNU, ftp.uu.net:systems/gnu
See Ghostview and GSPreview.
Ghostview
is an X11 user interface for ghostscript. It was written by Tim
Theisen, and is distributed under the terms of the GNU General
Public License. Ghostview runs on UNIX and VMS platforms. To
compile ghostview, you should have the X11R5 distribution from
MIT. Many vendors do not provide the Athena widgets.
Ghostview provides a menu driven interface with ample keyboard
accelerators. It also provides popup zoom windows and the ability
to save or print selected pages.
For more information about ghostview, contact the author, Tim
Theisen, at ghostview@cs.wisc.edu.
What: Bounding-Box, Document-Previewer, Level-2, Page-Reordering
Status: free
Platforms: X11 on Unix or VMS systems.
Get-From: Source: ftp.cs.wisc.edu:/pub/X/ghostview-1.4.1.tar.Z or
prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/ghostview-1.4.1.tar.Z or other GNU
distribution points (see ghostscript's listing) Binaries:
ftp.cs.wisc.edu:/pub/X/ghostview-exe directory
GoScript 3.0
???
What: Interpreter
Status: ???
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: ???
GSPreview
A document previewer based on GhostScript, by Richard Hesketh.
What: Document-Previewer, Level-2
Status: free
Platforms: X Windows
Get-From: prep.ai.mit.edu
Hijack-PS
???
What: Interpreter, Converts-???
Status: ???
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ???
JAWS
???
What: Interpreter
Status: Commercial
Platforms: Sun
Get-From ???
Where to get it: uad1077@dircon.co.uk
NeXTStep,
release 3.0 supports full level 2 PostScript.
What: Interpreter
Status: commercial
Platforms:
NeXT
Get-From:
NeXT
Opium
converts PostScript to several raster image formats. It has
several language extensions relating to image processing (alpha
channel, "forall" for images etc.) and usability of PostScript as
a general purpose script language ("system", secure and
non-secure modes, etc.) Converts to TIFF 5.0 (including RLE, LZW,
fax3, fax4, and JPEG compressions), PBM, PGM, PPM, Sixel (VT240,
LN03), Group 3 fax, ASCII, and HPGL (experimental).
What: Interpreter, Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII, Converts
PostScript-to-TIFF, Converts-Images, Level-2,
Converts-PostScript-to-HPGL
Status: commercial
Platforms: UNIX, Sun, DECstation, AIX, NeXT, Alpha and VMS.
Get-From: Stream Technologies Inc., Valkjarventie 2, SF-02130 Espoo,
FINLAND, Tel: +358 0 43577340, Fax: +358 0 43577348, Email: info@sti.fi
pageview
can preview PostScript on the Sun screen. The document must
follow the DSC conventions described in section 9 (EPSF).
What: Previewer
Status: commercial
Platforms: OpenWindows
Get-From: Sun
PixelScript
???
What: Interpreter, Previewer
Status: commercial
Platforms: Amiga
Get-From: ???
PowerPage
from Pipeline Associates handles the special hints in Adobe Type
1 fonts (see Section 4, ``Fonts'').
What: Interpreter
Status: commercial
Platforms: ???
Get-From: Pipeline Associates
Post
turns PostScript files into screen images, image files, and
prints on non-PostScript printers. Scaling & pixel density are
adjustable by the user. It is excellent, works in color, supports
types 1 and 3 fonts. By Adrian Aylward, 20 Maidstone Rd Swindon,
WILTS. UK.
This is not the same as Post for MS-DOS.
What: Interpreter, Previewer, Converts-Images
Status: free
Platforms: Amiga
Get-From: Compuserve, or from any Amiga PD source, in the well-known
Fred Fish collection. Current version is 1.7, on Fish Disk
669. Or grind.isca.uiowa.edu, gatekeeper.dec.com [
/pub/micro/amiga/fish ] , monu6.cc.monash.edu.au,
ux1.cso.uiuc.edu [ amiga/fish/f6/ff669 ]
PS-Magic
???
Registration is $ 40 and includes the usual 40 font family...
Otherwise it only includes the Times font family.
What: Interpreter
Status: shareware ( $ 40)
Platforms: ???
Get-From: Advantage Computer, Box 524, Fremont CA 94537, U.S.A. Or,
in Toronto, it can be downloaded from CRS: Canada Remote Systems
(Mississauga).
PSView
???
What: Interpreter
Status: ???
Platforms: Macintosh
Get-From: ???
TScript
???
For most users who only want to print to common printers like
DeskWriters, StyleWriters, or Personal LaserWriter LS's, the
Basic version of TScript will suffice ( $ 55).
A more complex version is available that works with more esoteric
printers, particularly color printers and very-high-end
imagesetters.
What: Interpreter
Status: commercial ( $ 55)
Platforms: Macintosh
Get-From: ???
UltraScript
is a PostScript previewer for level 1 PostScript only.
UltraScript can print from within an application. This feature
requires about 1 Mbyte of memory above the minimum requirement.
It can process hinted type-1 (Adobe) fonts. The products include
QMS fonts with metrics that match those of Adobe's fonts.
The main PostScript interpreter in UltraScript PC runs as a TSR,
mostly living in extended memory (occupies about 24K below the
640K line). There is a different TSR called PCAPTURE that
intercepts LPTn output and routes it to UltraScript, which
interprets it and prints to the real printer. There's also a
front-end program which selects printing from an already-existing
file or lets you run in interactive mode (similar to "executive"
on a PostScript printer).
UltraScript PC is $ 195. It runs in PC/AT compatibles and needs
about 1M of extended memory. The basic version includes 25 fonts.
UltraScript PC Plus is $ 445 includes 47 fonts. The previewer
requires Microsoft Windows 3.
UltraScript for the Macintosh requires at least a 2 Mbyte system
to run. The basic version is $ 195 and includes 15 fonts.
UltraScript Plus is $ 495, includes 43 fonts, and has an
AppleTalk print spooler. It appears on the Chooser as a printer.
What: Previewer, Non-PostScript-Printer-Driver,
Converts-PostScript-to-PCL, Converts-PostScript-to-PCX,
Converts-PostScript-to-TIFF
Status: commercial
Platforms: MS-DOS, Macintosh
Get-From: PM Ware in Escondido, California, 1-800-845-4843 or
1-619-738-6633. CompuClassics, phone 1-800-733-3888.
Subject: 12.5 Utilities
The following are utilities intended to make using PostScript or
programming in PostScript easier. Many interpreters are also very
useful utilities. A program that makes something nice-looking but
does not help you use or program in PostScript would be in one of
the next section, PostScript Programs. This section has not yet
been created, but I am accepting information for it!
a2ps
places two pages on each physical page, borders surrounding
pages, headers, line numbering, multiple copies, landscape and
portrait mode, wide format, lines numbering, fold/cut long lines,
control font size.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX, MS-DOS
Get-From: comp.sources.misc volume 10, issue 73, archive name a2ps3,
posted 17 February 1990. Modified version posted to
alt.sources 25 March 1990 by Tor Lillqvist
(tml@hemuli.tik.vtt.fi). Updated version available by
anonymous ftp from imag.fr (129.88.32.1) in the "archive"
directory.
asc2ps
is part of Psroff3.0, and is integrated with psxlate. It is of
particular interest because it understands nroff's backspace bold
and italic conventions and doesn't introduce lots of extra bells
and whistles.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From: See Psroff3.0
asciiprint.ps
???
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript, Example
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: zben@umd5.umd.edu (Ben Cranston)
ato2pps
prints ASCII printable text boxed, 2-up, in landscape mode.
Prints boxed header with date & time, file name, and page number.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX, possibly available on Macintosh (C program)
Get-From: Mark Edwards (edwards@vms.macc.wisc.edu)
Bar-a-Coda
is an application for creating PostScript (EPS and EPSI) and TIFF
bar codes. Bar-a-Coda allows you to easily create an individual
bar code, a sheet, or many sheets.
BarCodeKit
is an object library (in Objective-C) for creating PostScript
(EPS and EPSI) and TIFF bar codes.
The two products offer every major bar code symbology. They can
also create two-dimensional/multiple row bar codes.
Bar codes can be scaled and rotated, colorized, dragged and
dropped into documents and accessed from any application via the
NeXTSTEP Services menu.
What: User-Utility
Status: Commercial
Platforms: NeXTSTEP
Get-From: Hot Technologies, email to info@hot.com or phone 617-252-0088.
bbfig
will let you calculate the bounding box of a PostScript picture.
It prints the figure and then calculates the bounding box around
the figure and print the box and its coordinates. This usually
works. However, for the times that it fails you have to measure
it by hand.
What: Bounding-Box
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From:
world.std.com:/src/text/tex/dvips/contrib,
cs.dal.ca:/pub/comp.archives,
emx.cc.utexas.edu:/pub/mnt/source/tex/dvi3ps,
isfs.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp:/TeX/styles/kth.se
behandler.ps
is a PostScript error handler. If you prepend it to a broken
PostScript file it will give a lot of information when the
program crashes.
What: Programmer-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: email to jgm@cs.brown.edu
cz
is table-driven, handles almost any character set, uses any font
on printer, control font sizes, paper size, page layout, number
of columns, line numbers, portrait or landscape mode, page
reversal, leading (line spacing), tab expansion. Emacs interface.
By Howard Gayle.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: comp.sources.misc volume 8 issues 65-75, 77-78
( 1 Oct 1989) issue 97 (28 Oct 1989) (Other prerequisites:
see README file at beginning of issue 65.)
crossword.ps
converts a specially formatted ASCII file to a crossword puzzle.
By Carl Lydick. Just prepend to an ASCII file and send it to the
printer.
What: Written-in-PostScript, Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: send a mail message whose body consists of the line "SEND
ASCII_TO_POSTSCRIPT" to FILESERV@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (or,
if you're on ESnet/NSInet, to SOL1::FILESERV).
double.ps
prints two pages of ASCII side by side in landscape mode. By Carl
Lydick.
What: Written-in-PostScript, Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: send a mail message whose body consists of the line "SEND
ASCII_TO_POSTSCRIPT" to FILESERV@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (or,
if you're on ESnet/NSInet, to SOL1::FILESERV).
dvips
???
What: Converts-DVI-to-PostScript
Status: ???
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: Radical Eye Software.
DWB 3
???
What: ???
Status: ???
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ???
enscript
formats text in 1 or 2 columns, portrait or landscape, manual
paper feed, headers, line printer simulation, line wrap or
truncation, control lines on page, fonts.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: commercial
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: Adobe Systems
epsffit
fits an EPSF file to a given bounding box.
What: Bounding-Box
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: See the psutils entry.
epsinfo.ps
determines bounding boxes. This can help to turn a PS file into
an EPS file.
What: Bounding-Box
Status: ???
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: from the Adobe file server (see Section 6,
``About Adobe'') or stis.nsf.gov:/NSF/eps/epsinfo.ps
epsonps
Epson LX-800 to PostScript translator, supports international
character sets, IBM graphics characters, different width fonts,
bit-mapped graphics.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: comp.sources.misc
eps2epsi
does a conversion if you have GhostScript and Perl.
What: Converts-EPS-to-EPSI
Status: free
Platforms: Perl
Get-From: email to jgm@cs.brown.edu
ETSR
in an Epson MX-80 to PostScript translator, includes Epson Mx-80
graphics modes, supports virtual printers, PrintScreen key
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: commercial
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: $75 from Niche Marketing, 7198 Camino Colegio,
Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA. Phone +1 707-795-7306. Overseas
shipping is $5 extra. CA residents please include
6.25% sales tax.
fontutils
???
The GNU font-making utilities. They can convert a PostScript font
to TeX's TK format.
What: Convert-PostScript-to-TK
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: prep.ai.mit.edu:pub/gnu.
getafm
outputs PostScript to retrieve an AFM file from printer.
What: Device-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: See the psutils entry.
Groff
is a Free Software Foundation package that can convert troff to
PostScript.
What: Converts-Troff-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: C++
Get-From: prep.ai.mit.edu
gs2asc
converts PostScript to ASCII, retaining the format of the text.
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: free
Platforms: GhostScript
Get-From: jgm@cs.brown.edu
hp2pbm
can convert all of PCL4 (up to and including rasters, downloaded
fonts and macros). It's somewhat slow because it converts PCL
into Poskanzer's Portable Bitmap format rasters (PBM) before
generating PostScript, but it's theoretically pixel-for-pixel
identical with the original PCL. Plus it's capable of driving
many other types of graphics devices or printers.
What: Converts-PCL-to-PBM, Converts-PCL-to-PostScript, Interpreter,
Non-PostScript-Printer-Driver
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: comp.sources.misc, soon to be a part of Psroff3.0.
hpscat
features Hangul (Korean).
Unfortunately, font is not a part of 'hpscat'. It's a property of
ELEX Inc., a Korean Mac dealer.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: ???
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: kum.kaist.ac.kr or cair.kaist.ac.kr
i2ps
handles ISO 8859/1 and Norwegian ISO 646. Written in Perl. Line
numbers, wrap or truncate long lines, landscape, 2 or 3 column,
control body font size.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX (any Perl platform)
Get-From: Get-from alt.sources article (AAS.90Oct30172546@boeygen.nr.no)
posted 30 October 1990.
ImageMagick
is an X11 package for display and interactive manipulation of
images. Includes tools for image conversion, annotation,
compositing, animation, and creating montages. ImageMagick can
read and write many of the more popular image formats including
Postscript. By John Cristy (cristy@dupont.com), E. I. du Pont de
Nemours Co.
ImageMagick uses GhostScript.
What: Converts-Images, Converts-PostScript-to-TIFF,
Document-Previewer, Converts-TIFF-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: X11
Get-From: export.lcs.mit.edu:contrib/ImageMagick.tar.Z
imtools
Converts just about everything in the image bitmap universe.
What: Converts-Images
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: San Diego Supercomputer Center distributes binaries only.
LameTeX
can convert simple LaTeX to PostScript or to ASCII.
It specializes in complete versatility of the printed page. The
standard model for text formatters is that every page is
necessarily rectangular. LameTeX will let you format text inside
a triangular page, or a circle page. Just like professional
magazine editors, you can include pictures of any shape and ask
the text to flow around them or inside them.
These flexible arbitrarily-shaped margins are PostScript paths.
If you don't know PostScript, it contains a big library of
interesting LameTeX page margins. With LameTeX you can fit
several ``pages'' onto one 8.5x11 inch piece of paper, so you can
easily make index cards, labels, and half-pages of text.
Also, if you know how to write programs in PostScript, LameTeX
allows you to very tightly integrate your LameTeX commands with
your PostScript code. In fact, the PostScript that LameTeX
outputs is nicely formatted and commented so that you can modify
it yourself and see how it's done. LameTeX is written with
PostScript version 1, so it should run on all PostScript
printers.
Finally, everything about LameTeX is set up to be compatible with
LaTeX. LameTeX can't do everything that LaTeX can, but the
special stealth commands guarantee that your fancy LameTeX
document can be processed by normal LaTeX. This allows you to
share it with anyone who doesn't happen to have LameTeX.
By Jon Monsarrat, jgm@cs.brown.edu.
What: Converts-LaTeX-to-PostScript, Text-Formatter,
Converts-LaTeX-to-ASCII.
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX, any C++ platform
Get-From: wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/lametex.tar.Z
landscape.ps
prints pages of 132 characters by 60 lines in landscape mode in 9
point Courier. By Carl Lydick. Just prepend to an ASCII file and
send it to the printer.
What: Written-in-PostScript, Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: send a mail message whose body consists of the line "SEND
ASCII_TO_POSTSCRIPT" to FILESERV@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (or,
if you're on ESnet/NSInet, to SOL1::FILESERV).
lineprinter.ps
is a simple text to PostScript translator.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: ???
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: from the Adobe file server (see Section 6, ``About Adobe'').
lj2ps
does a conversion of a (small) subset of PCL into PostScript. By
Chris Lewis.
There is a different lj2ps in psroff3.0 which does a somewhat
more complete job (handles downloaded LJ fonts) and should work
well with most "WP" or text processing applications.
What: Converts-PCL-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: comp.sources.misc
lpp
features headers, different paper sizes, borders, font, font
size, banner page, truncate or fold long lines, adjust margins,
Swedish ISO 646, ISO 8859/1, multiple copies, landscape or
portrait, multiple columns, localized date, double-sided
printing, nroff font selection.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free, shareware
Platforms: UNIX, VMS, TOPS-20
Get-From: Old version for TOPS-20 and VMS freely redistributable
for noncommercial use. Latest version (3.2) for UNIX is
shareware ($8 single-user, $12 multi-user). By Fredric Ihren
(fred@nada.kth.se). Send cash (no checks) to Vickervagen 4,
S-178 35 Ekero, Sweden.
lprps
is a print spooler.
What: Device-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From: James Clark (jjc@jclark.com)
lwf
features indent, portrait/landscape, margin adjust, page range,
point size, tab stops, headers, page reversal, multicolumn
printing (via pr).
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: comp.sources.unix volume 15 issue 8, 25 May 1988,
archive name lwf (obsolete version with minor bugs). An
updated version can be ftp'ed from cs.ubc.ca (137.82.8.5)
as pub/lwf-2.2.shar.Z.
macps
is a Unix program that takes an uploaded PostScript file created
on a Macintosh (by typing Command-F at the LaserWriter dialog
box; see macps.1 for more details) and includes an appropriately
modified LaserPrep file so that the result can be sent to a
PostScript printer from Unix. The LaserPrep file contains macros
used by the PostScript generator on the Macintosh.
Macps is difficult to install, and may not really be necessary.
What: Device-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From:
src.doc.ic.ac.uk:/computing/systems/mac/macps/macps-23.shar
and sumex-aim.stanford.edu:/info-mac/unix/macps-23.shar
mp
lets you print mail messages and news articles, including
digests, as well as ASCII text files. 2-up landscape mode. Prints
Filofax, Franklin Planner, Time Manager, and Time/System
International formats.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: iesd.auc.dk (130.225.48.4) in the PostScript directory,
or ftp.adelaide.edu.au (129.127.40.3) in the pub/sun/richb
directory.
nenscript
is an enscript clone.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: MS-DOS, UNIX, OS/2
Get-From: comp.lang.postscript article
(geoffw.718500346@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU), posted 7 October 1992.
You can find nenscript for OS/2 1.x--2.0 and MSDOS on
ftp-os2.nmsu.edu in pub/uploads/nensc113.zip.
numbered.ps
prints pages of 80 characters by 58 lines in portrait mode, with
pages numbered in the lower-right corner in 11 point Courier. By
Carl Lydick. Just prepend to an ASCII file and send it to the
printer.
What: Written-in-PostScript.
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: send a mail message whose body consists of the line "SEND
ASCII_TO_POSTSCRIPT" to FILESERV@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (or,
if you're on ESnet/NSInet, to SOL1::FILESERV).
PBM utilities
in the X11R4 and X11R5 distributions can convert between many
image formats. They handle:
Sun icon file reading writing
Sun raster file reading writing
X10 and X11 bitmap file reading writing
MacPaint reading writing
CMU window manager format reading writing
MGR format reading writing
Group 3 FAX reading writing
X11 window dump file reading writing
X10 window dump file reading
Xerox doodle brushes reading
GEM .img format reading
PC paintbrush (.pcx) format reading
PICT reading
ASCII graphics writing
HP LaserJet format writing
GraphOn graphics writing
BBN BitGraph graphics writing
Printronix format writing
See PPM and PGM for more X Windows conversion help.
What: Converts-Images
Status: ???
Platforms: X11
Get-From: ???
PBMPLUS
can convert between a lot of image formats. By Jef Poskranzer.
What: Converts-Images
Status: ???
Platforms: ???
Get-From: export.lcs.mit.edu as /contrib/pbmplus*.tar.Z
pc2ps
handles IBM code page 437 line graphic symbols.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: ???
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: GIERSIG@EDVZ.ATI.ADA.AT (Roland Giersig)
PGM utilities
in the X11R4 and X11R5 distributions can convert between many
image formats. They handle:
TIFF reading
Usenix FaceSaver file reading
HIPS reading
FITS reading writing
PostScript "image" data reading
raw grayscale bytes reading
Encapsulated PostScript writing
See PBM and PPM for more X Windows conversion help.
What: Converts-Images
Status: ???
Platforms: X11
Get-From: ???
portrait.ps
prints pages of 80 characters by 60 lines in portrait mode in 11
point Courier. Just prepend to an ASCII file and send it to the
printer.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript, Written-in-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: send a mail message whose body consists of the line
"SEND ASCII_TO_POSTSCRIPT" to FILESERV@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
(or, if you're on ESnet/NSInet, to SOL1::FILESERV).
Post
handles control margins, fonts, orientation, scaling This is not
the same as Post for the Amiga.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: shareware ( $ 5)
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: F. C. Betts, Veda Incorporated, Suite 200, 5200 Springfield
Pike, Dayton, OH 45431, U.S.A.
POSTPRN
is a device driver that prints portrait and landscape, and 1-up,
2-up, and 4-up pages. Automatically converts ASCII to PostScript
simply by opening the device and writing to it.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: grape.ecs.clarkson.edu:/d/dosutil/postprn.zip
(315)268-6667 (1N8, 12/2400), file area 7, postprn.zip
PostScript Processing Speed Test version 3.1
measures the speed of your PostScript device. By Jean-Serge
Gagnon.
What: Device-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From: GAAJ.UOTTAWA.CA (132.122.6.203)
The PostScript Zone
lets you pretend your PostScript programming space is three
dimensional. This package is a set of headers that you can add to
your files to make them know how to draw in three dimensions. By
Jonathan Monsarrat (jgm@cs.brown.edu).
The page, of course, is a perspective two-dimensional projection
of this three-dimensional drawing space. You can adjust this
projection, rotate your three-dimensional coordinate system,
translate, and so on.
You can convert any 2D PostScript image into 3-space, warping it
over any arbitrary transformation or over a surface.
The Zone is written entirely in PostScript level 1 and runs on
any PostScript device.
The Zone comes with a C program that lets you interactively build
a 3D image and rotate it with simple keystrokes.
The PostScript Zone also has examples of arbitrary non-affine
transformations and conformal mapping.
What: 3D, Warps, Conformal-Mapping, Written-in-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/zone.tar.Z
postscript.el
is an emacs mode for PostScript programming. There's a much
better version of Chris Maio's -- it's definitely worth replacing
your September 1988 version with the 11/22/90 patch by John
Relph.
What: Programmer-Utility, elisp
Status: free
Platforms: Emacs
Get-From: email jgm@cs.brown.edu
pps
is designed to be extended into further tools. It consists of a
front-end that converts the file into generic PostScript. You
tack a header onto it that defines the behavior of tabs, font
changes, newlines, formfeeds, and so on.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: alt.sources and comp.lang.postscript article
(1992May13.013042.23844@NeoSoft.com), posted 13 May 1992.
PPM
utilities in the X11R4 and X11R5 distributions can convert
between many image formats. They handle:
color Sun raster file reading writing
GIF reading writing
Amiga IFF ILBM reading writing
color X11 window dump file reading writing
color X10 window dump file reading
MTV ray-tracer output reading
QRT ray-tracer output reading
TrueVision Targa file reading
Img-whatnot file reading
color Encapsulated PostScript writing
See PBM and PGM for more X Windows conversion help.
What: Converts-Images
Status: ???
Platforms: X11
Get-From: ???
printer
uses Monofont (Courier); monosize (12 pitch). With other devps
programs, it supports portrait and landscape printing, manual
feed, reverse page order printing, message and other overlays,
control-L (form feed) page eject.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: commercial
Platforms: UNIX, MS-DOS
Get-From: Part of Pipeline Associates' devps package.
ps2a
???
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: ???
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ???
ps2ascii
???
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: ???
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ???
ps2ascii.pl
prints all the words of a PostScript program.
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX (any Perl platform)
Get-From: Get from Jon Monsarrat. jgm@cs.brown.edu
ps2ascii.ps
prints all the words of a PostScript program as well as the (X,Y)
positions. You can use the (X,Y) positions to retain the format
of your document, as well as just the strings.
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII, Written-in-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: Jon Monsarrat. jgm@cs.brown.edu
ps2eps-11
is a UNIX program that lets you convert an EPS file into EPSF. It
uses GhostScript and PBMPLUS. It creates a macbinary file which
can be transferred to the Mac using macbinary option. It can use
almost any PS including that from some other Mac application
after cleaning with macps.
What: Converts-EPS-to-EPSF
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: sumex-aim.stanford.edu:info-mac/unix/ps2eps-11.shar
ps2pk
is astandalone C program which rasterizes a PostScript font into
TeX's PK format.
What: Converts-PostScript-to-TeX
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ipc1.rrzn.uni-hannover.de:/pub/tex/utilities/ps2pk,
rusmv1.rus.uni-stuttgart.de:/.serv2/soft/tex/utilities/ps2pk,
miki.cs.titech.ac.jp:/pub/text/TeX/misc/ps2pk,
src.doc.ic.ac.uk:/packages/tex/fonts/utilities/ps2pk
ps2txt
is by Iqbal Qazi.
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: ???
Platforms: ???
Get-From: reseq.regent.e-technik.tu-muenchen.de in
/informatik.public/news/alt.sources/ps2txt, keos.helsinki.fi
in /pub/archives/alt.sources/ps2txt
ps2a.sh
is a UNIX shellscript that redefines the show and related
operators in the manner you suggest, and decides when kerning is
taking place. By Leonard Hamey.
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: ftp.mpce.mq.edu.au
psbook
can rearrange pages in a PostScript file into ``signatures''.
This is useful for printing books or booklets.
From the psutils collection by Angus Duggan.
What: Page-Reordering
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: See the psutils entry.
psf
can do 2-up, 4-up, landscape, portrait, control fonts and sizes,
double-sided printing, scaling, banner page.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX, Xenix, MS-DOS
Get-From: comp.sources.misc volume 12 issues 104-109, archive name psf2.
PsFrag,
by Craig Barratt, is a set of LaTeX macros for overlaying
postscript figures with fragments of LaTeX. More precisely, the
PsFrag macros allow specific pieces of postscript text in a
postscript figure (included via\epsfbox or\special) to be
replaced with arbitrary fragments of LaTeX. When your document is
latex'ed and dvips'ed, each piece of postscript text is replaced
by the LaTeX text.
The postscript file might be produced, for example, by xfig,
idraw, matlab, xmath, etc. Each string displayed by postscript's
show operator is a candidate for replacement by LaTeX text, math
symbols, equations, pictures etc. For example, you can include a
matlab plot in a LaTeX document with the title, axis labels, and
legend generated by LaTeX.
The LaTeX fragments can be optionally rotated, scaled, and
repositioned relative to the text being replaced. The LaTeX
fragments automatically track the postscript text position as the
postscript file is modified, or as the scaling and offsets of the
\special or\epsfbox are changed.
You need GhostScript and dvips from Radical Eye Software to use
the program.
What: Converts-TeX-to-PostScript, Converts-LaTeX-to-PostScript,
Text-Formatter, Converts-PostScript-to-TeX,
Converts-PostScript-to-LaTeX.
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: isl.stanford.edu:pub/boyd/psfrag/psfrag.tar.Z
psfig
allows you to include PostScript easily in your LaTeX or TeX or
ditroff documents. By Trevor Darrell.
What: Text-Formatter, Converts-PostScript-to-TeX,
Converts-PostScript-to-LaTeX, Converts-PostScript-to-Troff.
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: comp.sources.unix
psfx80
features Epson FX80 emulation with some limitations
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: commercial
Platforms: Sun 386i (UNIX MS-DOS capable machine)
Get-From: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
psnup
puts many PostScript pages on one page.
What: Page-Reordering
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From: Part of psutils.
PSR
is a DOS version of the UNIX program.
What: ???
Status: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: Bill Silvert (silvert@biome.bio.ns.ca)
psroff3.0
contains programs that can convert TeX PK format or HP SFP format
fonts into PostScript bitmap fonts. While bitmap fonts scale
poorly, this is sometimes of use in special circumstances. By
Chris Lewis.
What: Converts-PK-to-PostScript, Converts-SFP-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX, for psxlate and asc2ps also VMS
Get-From: ftp.uunet.ca in distrib/chris_lewis/psroff3.0
psselect
lets you select pages and ranges of pages to be printed from
among all the pages of a big document.
What: Page-Reordering
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: See the psutils entry.
pstext
handles tabs and backspaces, prints two-up, landscape or
portrait.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: email to jgm@cs.brown.edu
pstops
rearranges the pages in a PostScript file.
What: Page-Reordering
Status: ???
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: See the psutils entry.
PSTricks
is an extensive collection of PostScript macros that is
compatible with most TeX macro packages, including Plain TeX ,
LaTeX AmSTeX and AmS-LaTeX. Included are macros for color,
graphics, rotation, trees and overlays. It has several special
features:
* There is a wide variety of graphics (picture drawing) macros,
with a flexible interface and with color support. All lines
and outlines can be solid, dotted or dashed. Lines and curves
can have arrowheads, t-bars, brackets or circles on the ends.
Regions can be filled with solid colors, lines or crosshatch.
By Timothy Van Zandt
* There is support for polar and cartesian coordinate systems.
* There are macros for plots and axes.
* Nested rotations can be made with respect to the physical
page.
* There are flexible node macros, useful for trees, mathematical
diagrams, and linking information of any kind.
* There is a powerful loop macro that is useful for making
pictures.
* There are macros for coloring or shading the cells of tables.
What: Text-Formatter, Converts-PostScript-to-TeX,
Converts-PostScript-to-LaTeX.
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: princeton.edu:pub/pstricks-*.tar.Z
PSxlate
is part of psroff3.0, and is available from
What: Page-Reordering, Device-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: comp.sources.unix archives, or ftp.uunet.ca in /distrib/chris
_lewis/psroff3.0/part??.Z.
psutils
is a set of useful PostScript utilities: epsffit, getafm, psbook,
psnup, psselect, pstops, and showchar. By Angus Duggan
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript, Page-Reordering
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: ftp.dcs.ed.ac.uk (129.215.160.5) in the file
pub/ajcd/psutils.tar.Z
SerialOff.PS
works with SerialEHandler.ps to communicate bidirectionally to
the printer. Works on PostScript 2 printers only.
What: Device-Utility
Status: free
Platforms:
Get-From: Jon Monsarrat (jgm@cs.brown.edu).
showchar
outputs PostScript to draw a character with metric information.
What: Font-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: UNIX
Get-From: See the psutils entry.
spike.ps
prints out an ASCII file in PostScript. Just prepend to an ASCII
file and send it to the printer. You can play with the margins,
font, etc. easily. By John Hughes.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: PostScript
Platforms: Written-in-PostScript
Get-From: Jon Monsarrat (jgm@cs.brown.edu).
StripFonts
strips out font definitions from a PostScript file intended to be
printed on a printer which already knows the fonts.
What: Font-Utility
Status: free
Platforms: Macintosh
Get-From: ???
swtext
started off as a clone of Adobe's ``enscript'', but is now
greatly enhanced, and has large numbers of columns, ``document''
mode with paragraph fills and *bold* and_italic _ printing
(controlled by *...* and_... _ respectively), more control over
page layout....
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: commercial
Platforms: ???
Get-From: Harlequin Ltd, Barrington Hall, Barrington, Cambridge,
CAMBS, United Kingdom. scriptworks-request@harlqn.co.uk
t1utils
can convert PFB to PFA. By Lee Hetherington.
What: Converts-PFB-to-PFA
Status: free
Platforms: ???
Get-From: ftp.cs.umb.edu (192.12.26.23): /pub/misc/t1utils-1.1.tar.Z
text2ps
allows arbitrary rotation, control body font, body font size,
horizontal spacing, leading, left margin on even and odd pages,
top margin, fold long lines
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: ???
Platforms: DOS, UNIX?
Get-From: comp.binaries.ibm.pc, volume 1, archive name text2ps.
TOPS
is a very simple text to ps filter. Quite fast.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: MS-DOS
Get-From: Ian Farquhar (ifarqhar@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz.au)
Trimmer
strips out font definitions from a PostScript file intended to be
printed on a printer which already knows the fonts.
What: Font-Utility
Status: Shareware
Platforms: Macintosh
Get-From: ???
unps
What: Converts-PostScript-to-ASCII
Status: free
Platforms: POSIX, UNIX with nawk
Get-From: email to jgm@cs.brown.edu
wide.ps
prints pages of 132 characters by 103 lines in portrait mode in 6
point Courier. Just prepend to an ASCII file and send it to the
printer. By Carl Lydick.
What: Converts-ASCII-to-PostScript, Written-in-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: send a mail message whose body consists of the line "SEND
ASCII_TO_POSTSCRIPT" to FILESERV@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (or,
if you're on ESnet/NSInet, to SOL1::FILESERV).
wmap2ps
converts map files (MP1 format) from John B. Allison's 'The World
Digitized' package to EPSF 2.0 conforming PostScript files. The
latitude is usually projected using the mercator projection and
the resulting figure may be scaled and positioned to the needs of
the user.
What: Converts-MP1-to-PostScript
Status: free
Platforms: PostScript
Get-From: email to jgm@cs.brown.edu
xpr
is converts the bitmap from any X window to PostScript.
To convert an image to PostScript in X windows, you can display
the image on the screen and then use "xpr -device ps" in the
resulting X11 window. For example, to convert GIF to PostScript,
use xv or xshowgif (ftp from bongo.cc.utexas.edu (128.83.186.13))
and then xpr.
What: Converts-Images
Status: ???
Platforms: X11
Get-From: ???
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