MHJohnson@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (Mark Johnson) (09/16/86)
We have a mixture of postscript (Apple LaserWriter's) and QUIC (QMS 1200 and 2400's) printers. We would like to be able to convert files from the postscript form to the QUIC form since those other printers are far faster than the LaserWriters. Does anybody have a conversion program for postscript to QUIC? If so, please send me a note describing how I can get a copy of it (or if it's small, please mail directly). If I get ANY responses, I'll gladly summarize to the mailing list. --Mark <MHJohnson @ HI-MULTICS.ARPA>
MHJohnson@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (Mark Johnson) (09/27/86)
Ten days ago, I asked the net for information about Postscript to QUIC conversion. The replies fall into the following major categories: (1) In general, "It can't be done". To do a complete job, you would have to essentially do a Postscript to bitmap conversion & print the bitmap. (2) There aren't any known subset translators. (3) QMS does sell postscript versions of their printers (PS 800, PS 2400). (4) It is easy to do a QUIC processor in Postscript, `it should be a quick hack' as a big case statement. In my case, I have fast QUIC printers (QMS 1200 and 2400 at 10 to 20pp/minute) and slow (Apple LaserWriters at 1 page/minute for spreadsheets). Being a pig on the LaserWriter for an hour for a 64 page spreadsheet is not socially acceptable. For my use, a subset translator that would do lines (any angle, line width, solid only) and characters (horizontal or vertical, use the font size and selection with the closest fit) would be fine. I'll ask again for information about any subset converters. Nobody who replied previously had any information about one so I don't expect so much mail this time now I have (hopefully) clarified my need. I'd rather not buy the postscript hardware since I think it is overkill (and slower) for most of my current needs. If all else fails, I guess I'll write a SNOBOL program to do `a quick hack' to convert the files I need. Thanks to all who replied with information (adobe!foley, adobe!greid, ECON @ TE.CC.CMU.EDU, reid @ DECWRL.COM, sjrapaport @ watlion.waterloo.edu, aecom!naftoli). For those wishing a note about what I found out, I'm sending you the mail I received directly. --Mark <MHJohnson @ HI-MULTICS.ARPA>