[comp.lang.postscript] Meaning of pagecount with continuous paper?

CCMARIE@uqvax.decnet.uq.oz (Marie Bultreys) (06/01/90)

Help!  I am trying to implement a spooler for an APS PostScript Page Image
Processor connected to an APS-6/70s Laser Imager.  The spooler (running on
a VAX 8550 with VMS) will append a small strip of text to each job to identify
the owner and list the amount of paper used (needed for charging purposes).

My problem is twofold:  I want to know how much bromide (in millimetres or
inches) has been consumed by each job, and I want to print my banner strip
on a separate page, but taking up as little paper as possible (i.e. defined
with a short X-axis?)

	Is this possible?

As far as I am aware, PostScript interpreters maintain a pagecount for you,
but what exactly is a page when you have continuous bromide paper?
Also, how do I redefine page size so that my banner segment doesn't use up
a full A4 page say?

This is my first encounter with PostScript and so I would appreciate any
thoughts, suggestions, etc from you old-hands out there.
Thanks,
		Marie


Marie Bultreys 
Prentice Computer Centre
The University of Queensland
Qld 4072	Australia
E-mail: ccmarie@uqvax.decnet.uq.oz.au

glenn@heaven.woodside.ca.us (Glenn Reid) (06/03/90)

In article <13346@uqvax.decnet.uq.oz> CCMARIE@uqvax.decnet.uq.oz (Marie Bultreys) writes:
>My problem is twofold:  I want to know how much bromide (in millimetres or
>inches) has been consumed by each job, and I want to print my banner strip
>on a separate page, but taking up as little paper as possible (i.e. defined
>with a short X-axis?)

On most typesetters with variable-sized film, there is a special operator
called "setpageparams" that is available in "statusdict" that will let you
set the page dimensions to whatever you like.  You should get a hold of
the printer manual from the manufacturer (the one that has PostScript
details); that should tell you how to use it, although it can be a bit
confusing.

>As far as I am aware, PostScript interpreters maintain a pagecount for you,
>but what exactly is a page when you have continuous bromide paper?

It counts the number of times "showpage" was called.  I doubt you can
modify it, since the page count is supposed to be inviolable....

Glenn Reid