macdriver@adobe.com (07/25/90)
Adobe Systems has announced that we are developing PostScript printer drivers
for the Macintosh, Microsoft Windows 3.0, and OS/2 PM environments. At the
Adobe Developers' Conference June 6-8 Adobe discussed the
goals of the drivers and demonstrated a prototype version of the driver
for the Macintosh. The rest of this message specifically addresses
the Macintosh version of the PostScript printer driver from Adobe Systems.
The driver is a chooser selectable driver that works with any Macintosh
application. The driver takes special advantage of features included
in PostScript Level 2 which was introduced at the Adobe Developers'
Conference). The driver will also fully support the existing installed base
of PostScript printers.
Specific goals of the driver are:
a) Performance. The new driver will have improved performance on both
PostScript Level 2 printers and the existing installed base of printers.
b) Support for device specific printer features such as special paper bins,
printer specific page sizes, duplex printing, cut film, and so on. This
is usable by EVERY application, not just some special applications that jump
hoops to give you that functionality.
c) The ability to export PostScript language files by printing to disk with
the driver. The goal is to generate PORTABLE files which can be moved
to other systems (Mac and otherwise) easily. In particular it will be
possible to generate EPS files from Macintosh applications using the
Adobe printer driver.
d) Conforming PostScript language documents. The files created by the
new driver will conform to the Adobe Document Structuring Conventions
which will allow for useful post processing of the documents. For example,
this will enable existing and future network printing managers/spoolers which
conform to the structuring conventions to intelligently direct and process
the jobs/files produced by the driver.
The demonstration of the Adobe PostScript printer driver at the conference
included a tour of the user interface (still under construction). Printing
Microsoft Word 4 and MacDraw II was also demonstrated.
The driver is expected to ship concurrent with PostScript Level 2 printers.
There have been no specific product announcements for these printers but
users can expect them to be available in the last quarter of 1990 or
first quarter of 1991.
Adobe wants input from users, developers, and service bureaus on features and
capabilities which you want to see in the driver. An email account has been
set up at Adobe for suggestions. Send suggestions to:
'macdriver@adobe.com'.
Other possible paths are
{uunet,apple,decwrl}!adobe!macdriver
If you have suggestions but cannot get mail to this account,
please send US mail to:
Mac Printer Driver Product Manager
Adobe Systems Incorporated
1585 Charleston Rd.
Mountain View, CA. 94043
We appreciate your input and ideas. We look forward to both direct suggestions
as well as any discussions on usenet. PLEASE REPLY TO THIS EMAIL ACCOUNT,
NOT TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AT ADOBE SYSTEMS. This will ensure that your
suggestions get received by the appropriate folks.
In addition, followups to this newsgroup will be read with interest by the
driver team.
Thanks for your suggestions,
Macintosh PostScript Driver Team
at Adobe Systems Incorporatedglenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) (07/25/90)
In article <4394@adobe.UUCP> macdriver@adobe.com writes: > >Adobe wants input from users, developers, and service bureaus on features and >capabilities which you want to see in the driver. >In addition, followups to this newsgroup will be read with interest by the >driver team. I would like to be able to get back everything that is returned to the host by the printer, like the exact text of error messages and any other random text that might be sent back. Ideally, it should be possible to have this information directed to a file; it could use a single file and over-write it each time as a default, and perhaps allow me to specify a particular file by invoking an option. That would be extremely valuable. I would also like to see the driver handle situations where you want to prepend the contents of a file before every job that gets printed, so you could create custom "DRAFT" notices, cut marks, CLASSIFIED notices, or whatever. I imagine users would want to be able to set it up so a particular file always gets used but have the ability to ask for a special one if they want to. How 'bout putting the downloadable printer fonts in a sub-directory of the System folder, so they don't swamp that folder? Maybe this is already taken care of (I'm a bit of a Mac peasant these days with my Macintosh Plus....) Sounds great, other than that. Especially the notion of producing truly portable code from the printer driver. That will be an incredible feature. Question: you mentioned that the driver will be able to produce EPS files. Does that mean they'll have the preview component, too? If not, you should consider doing so, since you already have the QuickDraw commands if you're the printer driver. Thanks, -- Glenn Reid PostScript/NeXT consultant glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us Independent Software Developer ..{adobe,next}!heaven!glenn 415-851-1785
woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) (07/25/90)
Where does a spec exist for level 2 postscript? I'm interested in the new features that have been added to the system. I have yet to find a list or description of them. I checked the server. If it is there, I didnot notice it, so would appreciate a pointer to it. If it is not available, then when will it be, and how will one get it? Cheers Woody
hcochran@adobe.com (Holly Wanless Cochran) (07/26/90)
The features of PostScript Level 2 were detailed at the Adobe Developer's Conference in early June. The features will be documented in a new edition of the Red Book, which is expected to be available Fall 1990. Conference attendees will receive a copy in the mail; it was included in the fee they paid for the conference. Everyone else will be able to purchase the Red Book in bookstores or directly from Adobe, just like the current Red Book today. Holly Cochran Adobe Systems Inc. holly@adobe.com