raney@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Scott Raney) (04/12/89)
How does one typically produce printer output from X applications? Screen dumps are not of acceptable quality. What we need is an X server that produces postscript output. That way one could produce printer output by just opening another display (which would be functionality similar to that offered by GEM and MS-Windows). Does anyone know of such a product? Is there another way to get laser printer quality output from an X application? Has this subject come up before? If not, why not?
klee@daisy.UUCP (Ken Lee) (04/12/89)
In article <8074@boulder.Colorado.EDU> raney@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Scott Raney) writes: >How does one typically produce printer output from X applications? >Screen dumps are not of acceptable quality. A standard X server is unlikely to deliver a higher quality image than a screendump since the X server uses a screen pixel based imaging model. We (and probably all other CAD/CAE companies) take the approach of having our applications generate high quality output when it is needed. The applications generate a world coordinate output that is converted to either the X screen pixel image model or to a resolution appropriate for printers or plotters. Alternatively, you could do world coordinate imaging in the server. NeWS has a built in PostScript imaging model that can be converted to any screen or printer resolution. The announced PHIGS and Display PostScript X extensions should be able to provide the same capabilities. -- Ken Lee Daisy Systems Corp., Interactive Graphics Tools Dept. Internet and Smail: klee@daisy.uucp uucp: uunet!daisy!klee
tom@ICASE.EDU (Tom Crockett) (04/12/89)
> *Excerpts from xpert: 11-Apr-89 Postscript X server Scott Raney@boulder.colo* > *(495)* > How does one typically produce printer output from X applications? > Screen > dumps are not of acceptable quality. What we need is an > X server that > produces postscript output. Sounds like a really good idea to me. Let me know if you find one.
bill@sunquest.UUCP (Bill Raves) (01/04/91)
I think this subject has come up before but it seems to just dribble
away - it has to do with the feasibility of implementing an X server
that drives a Postscript device. Some advantages:
- a mechanism for suitably equipped clients to produce hardcopy
documents as well as normal crt images
- higher resolution
- minimal client-side modifications
What are the potential problem areas? Some that I can envision:
- drawing primitives which assume a readable frame buffer
(e.g. Copy{Area, Plane}, {Get, Put}Image)
- mapping X fonts to Postscript fonts
- mapping X rasterops to Postscript painting operators
Would you anticipate any problems with a server that has no input
devices or cursors?
How about a "window manager" that interacts with a print spooler,
breaks windows into numbered pages, dumps out page decorations?...
Does this sound feasible?
Has anyone attempted or is anyone attempting to do this?
Is this a good project to hire out (we have minimal X server,
Postscript experience) ?
----
--
Bill Raves bill@sunquest.com
Sunquest Information Systems sunquest!bill@arizona.edu
Tucson, AZ {arizona,uunet}!sunquest!billfgreco@dprg-330.GOVt.shearson.COM (Frank Greco) (01/05/91)
> > I think this subject has come up before but it seems to just dribble > away - it has to do with the feasibility of implementing an X server > that drives a Postscript device. Some advantages: > >etc. > > Does this sound feasible? > Has anyone attempted or is anyone attempting to do this? > Is this a good project to hire out (we have minimal X server, > Postscript experience) ? > ---- If you are using Suns currently, perhaps you should contact them regarding their $495 NeWSprint product. You send it Postscript and it'll rasterize it for a whole slew of hardcopy devices. Frank G.