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Article #2391

Re: PostScript to "text"? [Was: Why postscript ?]

#2391
From: Warren Block
Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:26
34 lines
2188 bytes
Phred <ppnerkDELETETHIS@yahoo.com> wrote:
> In article <slrng6nfic.30fb.wblock@speedy.wonkity.com>, Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> wrote:
> [Snipped detail of original thread.]
>>There are three main advantages of PostScript:
>>
>>Quality.
>>Resolution independence.
>>Device independence.
>>
>>The importance of any of those depends on what is being printed.
>
> Every now and then some bugger sends me a PS file in response to a 
> request for info.  It's not such a hassle now because my second hand 
> HP4100 can print such files if I simply COPY them to PRN; but it was a 
> pain in the arse before I managed to get hold of a PS aware printer!
>
> The experience has left me wondering if there is a "translator" that 
> will turn a PS file back into normal editable (or at least a PC 
> readable image) "text".  

There's lots of things you can try:

Ghostscript itself can write out bitmaps.  That doesn't really help in 
terms of editing the original content.  You could try OCR software.

Ghostscript comes with ps2ascii.

Ghostscript also has ps2pdf to make the PS file into a PDF.  Then use 
Acrobat Reader to copy either in graphic or text mode.  Or try the PDF 
importer for OpenOffice; I haven't tried it, can't say how well it might 
work.

-- 
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
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From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers,aus.computers
Subject: Re: PostScript to "text"? [Was: Why postscript ?]
Date: 4 Jul 2008 00:26:10 GMT
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