[comp.sys.mac] Encapsulated PostScript files

aae391aa@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (10/10/89)

Has anyone out there tried using the "Encapsulated PostScript" files that are
produced when typing Command-F when printing to a Laser Printer?  I'm getting
that to work correctly, but how does one actually send the files that are
created to the printer itself?  I try selecting the PostScript file in the
Finder and use the "Print" command -- it opened up MPW and printed the actual
text of the PostScript rather than sending it directly to the printer.

Any suggestions?  Thanks much.

				       Erik A. Johnson
				       johnsone@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu

mr2t+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Tod Rose) (10/10/89)

In article <20200056@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>, Erik A. Johnson
<johnsone@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu> writes:
>Has anyone out there tried using the "Encapsulated PostScript" files
that are
>produced when typing Command-F when printing to a Laser Printer?  I'm
getting
>that to work correctly, but how does one actually send the files that
are
>created to the printer itself?  I try selecting the PostScript file in
the
>Finder and use the "Print" command -- it opened up MPW and printed the
actual
>text of the PostScript rather than sending it directly to the printer.

A few solutions, preceded by a nitpick:

nitpick -- the files produced by holing down the 'f' key are not
"Encapsulated Postscript" files.  An EPSF is a postscript file which has
a PICT resource embedded in it for screen display of the graphic in
programs that can't image postscript (ie. most everything).  The file
you get when you hit 'f' is straight postscript w/o the PICT inclusion.
(I *told* you it was a nitpick. :-)

To print the beasties: (these are each solutions individually, not steps)

a) Open the text file in Microsoft Word and set the entire thing to
style "postscript".  Then print normally.  (This is not for everyone;
personally, the sight of raw postscript code makes me ill, but to each
his/her own...)

b) Use Adobe's SendPS or Font Downloader utilities to download the text
file to the printer, where it will print as postscript.  Both of these
should be available from info-mac or from anyone who has ever purchased
an adobe font.

c) Use the LaserStatus DA to download the file.  LaserStatus is part of
DiskTop, from CE Software.  If you don't have it, you should.

I'm sure there are other solutions, some slightly offbeat (my favorite:
get an RS-232 cable and a terminal emulator and plug the mac right into
the laserwriter [setting the serial emulation on the printer, of course]
and simply blast the postscript program over), but that's three workable
ones off the top of my head.

yours,
-mike

gelphman@adobe.COM (David Gelphman) (10/13/89)

In article <EZAJtMO00WBKQ34JNi@andrew.cmu.edu> mr2t+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Tod Rose) writes:
>A few solutions, preceded by a nitpick:
>nitpick -- the files produced by holing down the 'f' key are not
>"Encapsulated Postscript" files.  An EPSF is a postscript file which has
>a PICT resource embedded in it for screen display of the graphic in
>programs that can't image postscript (ie. most everything).  The file
>you get when you hit 'f' is straight postscript w/o the PICT inclusion.
>(I *told* you it was a nitpick. :-)
    Actually an EPS file is not required to have a screen preview although
it is strongly recomended. You are correct in saying that the file created
by the command-f shortcut are not EPS. EPS files are required to obey 
certain conventions that the PostScript language files created by the
Apple LaserWriter driver currently does not follow. These are rules which
allow a document to be imbedded into another document in a reliable fashion.
We make the EPS spec available to those who request it. I just posted another
message about the way to obtain it so go back a message or two if you
are looking for the spec.

David Gelphman
Adobe Systems Incorporated