[comp.lang.postscript] PostScript to Encapsulated PostScript Utility?

cape@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Robert Cape) (08/31/89)

Pardon me if this question has been asked before.  I'm looking for a
utility that can take a PostScript file, generated on a Mac with an
arbitrary graphics package and turn it into an Encapsulated PostScript
file.  This, in turn would be sent to a Sun to be merged with text in
a publishing system.  I also need to be able to merge such EPS files
with WordPerfect 5.0 on MS-DOS machines.  The connection between the
machines is not a problem, just the conversion.  Any pointers, 
especially to PD stand-alone utilities, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bob

Robert Cape
NCR Comten, Inc.
St. Paul, MN 55113
AT&T: 612-638-7211
r.cape@stpaul.ncr.com    or {backbone}!ncrlnk!ncrcce!ncrcis!cape

halliday@cheddar.cc.ubc.ca (Laura Halliday) (08/31/89)

In article <1490@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM> cape@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Robert M. Cape) writes:
>Pardon me if this question has been asked before.  I'm looking for a
>utility that can take a PostScript file, generated on a Mac with an
>arbitrary graphics package and turn it into an Encapsulated PostScript
>file. 
>(...)

There are two things happening here. A PostScript file, whether Encapsulated
or not, is just plain text. Text is text, and you can move it from one system
to another with no problem. If the file doesn't conform to EPSF specifica-
tions, you can rearrange it with a text editor until it does.

Screen previews are another matter, and I think this is what you were *really*
asking about. There are several approaches to this, because different systems
have their own preferred ways of saving pictures. On a Macintosh, the screen
preview is a QuickDraw picture in the resource fork, with the file type set
to EPSF. On an IBM PC, the preview may be a TIFF picture. If all else fails,
there is an EPSI format that (theoretically) anything can read. Get a copy of
Adobe's EPSF specification.

To actually generate the screen preview, you have several options. You can
fake it. You can generate it with something else. You can feed your PostScript
file to a PostScript printer and have it send results back rather than
printing them, and then transform what you get into a usable form.

It's your choice. There are commercial products that transmit stuff to the
printer and snag the results - I know, because I had an interview with the
makers of one such package... :-)

>Robert Cape
>NCR Comten, Inc.
>St. Paul, MN 55113
>AT&T: 612-638-7211
>r.cape@stpaul.ncr.com    or {backbone}!ncrlnk!ncrcce!ncrcis!cape

...laura