hemmat@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (06/06/90)
In article <1990May14.215409.16644@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> shimmin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (John Shimmin) writes: >In article <21069@boulder.Colorado.EDU> >huntert@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Tim Hunter) writes: >>The recent article on hairlines in Mac programs reminded me of something I'd >>like to be able to do: >> >>I know that Adobe Illustrator (or is it Aldus Freehand?) saves it's files as >>postscript code. I'd like to be able to get this type of output for other >>programs, such as Pagemaker or Excel. If I could get a text file of postscipt >>code from these applications, then I'd be able to send it to the local unix >>.... >> Tim Hunter University of Colorado, Boulder >> huntert@tramp.Colorado.EDU 'I really don't like lobster!' > >A little documented feature of macs is that if you hold down the 'k' key >after you send the print command, you will generate a postscript text >file. i'm not sure if it matters what printer you have selected with >the chooser. The times I have tried it, a laser printer was selected, >but it seems like it might work independently of the chosen printer. > >John Shimmin I have tried holding down the "k" key after sending a file to the laser-printer, and successfully generated a psc file. I then tried to laser-print this file from an IBM PC, after transferring it of course, using TOPS and was not successful at all. I have received no error messages, no output, nothing what-so-ever. Is the Mac's generated postscript different from standard postscript? and if it is, is there any way to convert one to another? Any pointers/help will be appreciated. All I am trying to do is to generate standard postscript files from Mac applications and be able to send them to a laser printer via main-frames. Thanks in advance. M. Hemmat -- Hemmat@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu Hemmat@ukanvax.bitnet
tbutler@wpi.wpi.edu (Tim Butler) (06/06/90)
In article <24647.266bc9ca@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> hemmat@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes: In article <1990May14.215409.16644@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu> shimmin@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (John Shimmin) writes: >In article <21069@boulder.Colorado.EDU> >huntert@tramp.Colorado.EDU (Tim Hunter) writes: > I have tried holding down the "k" key after sending a file > to the laser-printer, and successfully generated a psc file. I then > tried to laser-print this file from an IBM PC, after transferring it > of course, using TOPS and was not successful at all. I have received > no error messages, no output, nothing what-so-ever. > Is the Mac's generated postscript different from standard > postscript? and if it is, is there any way to convert one to another? ..etc.. > M. Hemmat > -- > Hemmat@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu > Hemmat@ukanvax.bitnet The postscript generated by the mac is different in that it uses some macros that are defined in LaserPrep. LaserPrep is a system file that should be in the system folder. Unless that mac is not used for laserprinting and the owner keeps a minimum number of files in the system folder. There is a program called "macps" that will add the postscript "dictionary" contained in LaserPrep to your file. it has to run on a Unix machine though. It is available through anonymous ftp at sumex-aim.stanford.edu in the info-mac/unix/ directory. But, there is also a program that does the same thing called "add-lprep" also at sumex in the info-mac/util/ directory that does the same thing. (and it is easier to use, but I have not tried that one, macps I have used successfully). I hope this helps. One other note. I had posted a question about 2 months ago about the legality of using the postscript output from LaserPrep with the program macps. Apple's copyright license specifically prohibits using any part of apple system software on any non-apple or multi-user computer. After getting referred to several people at apple and finally to the LaserPrep program director, I was told that it was ok to install the LaserPrep output on a unix machine for the purpose of using macps. The woman I spoke to was a little vague but in effect she said that Apple did not really consider the laserprep dictionary to be system software, that it was more appropriately considered output. Especially since it would only be combined with other postscript output and printed. But note that it does have their copyright on it. But she did say that it could not be modified or further distributed. If anyone else has wondered this and needs the name of the contact at apple so their sysop will install macps, e-mail to me and I will see if I still have the e-mail address or the phone number. If anyone at appIe that I have talked to thinks I have interpreted this incorrectly, or misrepresented anything, feel free to correct me. tim Tim Butler (tbutler@wpi.wpi.edu) Teaching Assistant HL 103b ext.5424 soon to be at: Department of Mechanical Engineering Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute Worcester Polytechnic Institute no Internet address yet
dankg@tornado.Berkeley.EDU (Dan KoGai) (06/06/90)
In article <24647.266bc9ca@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> hemmat@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes: > I have tried holding down the "k" key after sending a file >to the laser-printer, and successfully generated a psc file. I then >tried to laser-print this file from an IBM PC, after transferring it >of course, using TOPS and was not successful at all. I have received >no error messages, no output, nothing what-so-ever. > > Is the Mac's generated postscript different from standard >postscript? and if it is, is there any way to convert one to another? >Any pointers/help will be appreciated. All I am trying to do is to >generate standard postscript files from Mac applications and be able >to send them to a laser printer via main-frames. >Thanks in advance. Mac PS files are dependent on LaserPrep file in your System Folder. LaserPrep is yet another PS file that extends PostScript on LaserPrinter so vannila Mac PS files won't print on Laser Printer just by sending it. On Unix environment, this can be done by an utility called macps. macps takes Mac PS files and converts it to pure PS and print it to stdout. It also comes with prepfix utility to convert LaserPrep file to Unix compatible. You can get a copy from sumex-aim.stanford.edu and it's at info-mac/unix. I think current version was 2.2. It requires editing Makefile (For LaserPrep file directory dependency) but that's it to make it. Once you correctly installed it, you can print Mac PS file by: macps mac.ps |lpr Or when you just want to convert it to vanilla ps, macps mac.ps > vanilla.ps More details on manpage. I'm not sure if it compiles on MS-Dos but I don't think it uses system-dependent library. I think it take a little fix on directory-related stuffs but here it goes--if your Tops network includes Unix host, that's all it takes. ---------------- ____ __ __ + Dan The "I grok therefore I am God" Man ||__||__| + E-mail: dankg@ocf.berkeley.edu ____| ______ + Voice: +1 415-549-6111 | |__|__| + USnail: 1730 Laloma Berkeley, CA 94709 U.S.A |___ |__|__| + |____|____ + "What's the biggest U.S. export to Japan?" \_| | + "Bullshit. It makes the best fertilizer for their rice"
philip@Kermit.Stanford.EDU (Philip Machanick) (06/07/90)
In article <13286@wpi.wpi.edu>, tbutler@wpi.wpi.edu (Tim Butler) writes: > One other note. I had posted a question about 2 months ago about the legality > of using the postscript output from LaserPrep with the program macps. > Apple's copyright license specifically prohibits using any part of apple > system software on any non-apple or multi-user computer. There are some real problems here, if someone starts trying to interpret this stuff too literally. Any non-Apple network PostScript laser printer is both a non-Apple AND a multi-user computer (even if it's usually used as a printer, and is configured so only 1 user gets it at a time). Just as well they have chosen to take a reasonable interpretation of what the LaserPrep is: > After getting referred to several people at apple and finally to the > LaserPrep program director, I was told that it was ok to install the LaserPrep > output on a unix machine for the purpose of using macps. The woman > I spoke to was a little vague but in effect she said that Apple did not > really consider the laserprep dictionary to be system software, that it was > more appropriately considered output. Especially since it would only be > combined with other postscript output and printed. But note that it does > have their copyright on it. > But she did say that it could not be modified or further distributed. If this is true, then modified versions of the LaserPrep file (which are widely distributed) which in effect comment out the bits which break outside an Apple-only environment would be "illegal". You need such a munged LaserPrep for example to print from a unix environment. > If anyone else has wondered this and needs the name of the contact at > apple so their sysop will install macps, e-mail to me and I > will see if I still have the e-mail address or the phone number. > > If anyone at appIe that I have talked to thinks I have interpreted this > incorrectly, or misrepresented anything, feel free to correct me. A reasonable position for Apple to take would be that they don't care what you do with LaserPrep, as long as you are essentially using it to print something produced originally on a Mac. Philip Machanick philip@pescadero.stanford.edu