[comp.windows.ms] Problems with PostScript/Win3

jorge@dg-rtp.dg.com (Jorge Lach) (09/08/90)

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I cannot print postscript files that have been saved to disk. When
I was using Win 2.11, I could save postscript output to a file (by
connecting the ps printer to output.prn), and then take that file on
a floppy, upload it to my Unix system, get rid of the extra ^M's, and
send it to an Imagen printer, which has an "Ultrascript" interpreter.
After I upgraded to Win3, I cannot longer do that. I can save my files
ok, but the postscript header does not resemble the old at all. The
printer spits out a blank sheet of paper (or as many as the document
was long). I can still print the old files that I have around, so it is
nothing that has changed on the printer side.

Any suggestions?

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jorge@dg.dg.com		Technical Systems Division
Jorge Lach		Data General Corp., Westboro, Massachusetts

	"I speak only for myself, not for my company; in fact, my
	 company does not speak, and it is not really mine..."

my@dtg.nsc.com (Michael Yip) (09/11/90)

Yeah, I have problem printing PS files also.
Window keeps adding an extra Control-D at the 
beginning of the file and I have to edit the 
postscript file before I can print it.  Does
anyone have a solution?

-- Mike
   my@dtg.nsc.com

lcp@galileo.ifa.hawaii.edu (Lisa Paton) (09/11/90)

No solutions here either, but I've got a different postscript problem.  My
Excel graphs printed under Windows shrink smaller and smaller with each graph
unless I reset the printer between graphs.  Microsoft seems to be setting
some kind of reduction % without ever resetting to the original value.
--

The revolution will not be televised
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	Lisa Paton				snail: 2680 Woodlawn Dr.

gwunix00@seas.gwu.edu (Timur Tabi) (09/12/90)

I noticed the ^D problem also.  I guess the best solution would be to write
a little utility which copies the file, minus the first byte.  Anyway,
another problem I've found is that italic and boldface text from Word for
Windows doesn't align properly.

Aaron.Roydhouse@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Aaron Roydhouse) (09/13/90)

In article <comp.windows.ms/3934> my@dtg.UUCP (Michael Yip) writes:
>Yeah, I have problem printing PS files also.
>Window keeps adding an extra Control-D at the 
>beginning of the file and I have to edit the 
>postscript file before I can print it.  Does
>anyone have a solution?

 We've had this problem for a long time, since well before Windows 3
 It isn't a problem on our printers, but a lot of imagesetters and
 Apple hardware hates them.

 Please note, a Control-D is placed at the beginning AND END of your
 PS files. (Although it hits the last one only after printing your
 file - it still baff's on it, but it doesn't affect your printing)

 I wrote a program to take them out, so we run files through that.
 Lately however we have just been using a Word macro to take out the
 Control-D's and save the file. Its fast and easy so we haven't
 worried about a better solution.

 Aaron.

>-- Mike
>   my@dtg.nsc.com


--
_________________________________________________________________________
/ \  The Entity           | Phone: +64 4 850 988   Fax: +64 4 801 8777
|@/  Aaron Roydhouse      | SMail: PO Box 11-704, Wellington, New Zealand
\__  aaron@comp.vuw.ac.nz | Quote: "Death - To stop sinning suddenly" 

collet@fantasio.inria.fr (Pierre Collet) (09/13/90)

>I cannot print postscript files that have been saved to disk. When
>I was using Win 2.11, I could save postscript output to a file (by
>connecting the ps printer to output.prn), and then take that file on
>a floppy, upload it to my Unix system, get rid of the extra ^M's, and
>send it to an Imagen printer, which has an "Ultrascript" interpreter.
>After I upgraded to Win3, I cannot longer do that. I can save my files
>ok, but the postscript header does not resemble the old at all.


I didn't find any problems with Windows 3.0. I think you should prefer
"Postcript" driver to any other driver as it will be more standard.

Whenever this option was not available, I chose "Laserwriter II/NTX" as
it is the printer I always use.

I wrote a small shell script to translate the files for UNIX so that ^Ms
and ^Ds don't disturb the printer. The rest is quite strqightforward as
I simply type :
$ lpr file
to get the job done.

Here is the dos2unix script :

$cat dos2unix
sed -e s/^D//g $1 > foo
sed -e s/^M//g foo > $1
rm foo
$

It may not be very elegant but it had the best
efficiency/development_time ratio I could find :-> !

Good luck !

kensy@microsoft.UUCP (Ken SYKES) (09/14/90)

^Ds occur at the beginning AND end of the PostScript job.  If you write
a utility strip both of them out.

Ken Sykes
Dislaimer: The above opinions are solely my own.