Xref: utzoo comp.lang.postscript:1223 comp.sys.mac:23498
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bgsuvax!edwards
From: edwards@bgsuvax.UUCP (Ken Jenkins)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: how do you print a postscript file
Summary: Downloading PS 'raw'
Message-ID: <3166@bgsuvax.UUCP>
Date: 2 Dec 88 01:05:45 GMT
References: <1097@marlin.NOSC.MIL> <3416@utastro.UUCP>
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Lines: 58

In article <3416@utastro.UUCP>, bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) writes:
> In article <1097@marlin.NOSC.MIL> bryan@marlin.NOSC.MIL (Dale Bryan) writes:

> #how do you print a postscript file from a mac II to a laserwriter
> #where the postscript file has no application associated with it.
> #
> Oddly, I had to help someone do this very thing today, and I
> had never done it. We read the file using Microsoft Word 3.02,
> gave the whole thing the "PostScript" style (described in the
> manual) and printed it. It worked fine.

There are a number of PS file downloaders available. Some are in the
public domain, others are commercial. SendPS by ADOBE is rather bare
bones but does what you need it to do, which is bypass the print
manager eliminating the LaserPrep madness. It also generates a text
file containing any errors sent back by the printer (usually some
pleasant little %%Offending command /youfigureitout/). You can get
along very nicely with a DA text editor (like MockWrite) and SendPS
is you just want to play around a little. For more serious development
I use a product called LaserTalk which allows you to examine the stack
contents on the fly, work in interactive mode (over LocalTalk) and
through some clever slight of hand sends you files to the printer for
interpretation and then retrieves the image from VM and displays it
at 300 dpi on the Mac (of course you're going to do a bit of scrolling
around to see it all unless you scale it :-). Working in the mode
just described however requires that you have the LW tied up exclusively
while you are working in that LT loads its own dictionary to perform
its magic. Some other nice features are the ability to examine dictionaries
and stacks in single-step mode so you can see how screwed up you've gotten
your stack objectives (something, which through much practice I have
become extremely skilled at :-). Also ADOBE distributes a DL program with
every font package which can be use to DL your own PS programs as well.
There is even a DA which will stuff a PS file (no frills) out your node.
I like LaserTalk but you may find it "pricy" if you're not doing much
PS programming. 

Whatever you do, as Bill mentioned, try to form a habit of sticking to
the conventions ADOBE has published for Encapsulated PostScript. It's
not absolutely necessary if you're just DL'ing small files for your
own fun and amusement, but if you expect your files to get along in
the world, many applications expect "civilized" code :-)

> Bill Jefferys

Hi Bill, haven't seen you over here before. I would have asked for
those N/S charts in PS format ;-)


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Disclaimer: My name is Ken Jenkins and I am here as a guest of Bruce Edwards
            to whom this account belongs. Although he may be interested or even
            amused by my ramblings, he should not be held accountable for them 
            in any way.  
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Ken Jenkins (as a guest of Bruce Edwards)    CSNET: edwards@bgsu.edu
                                           ARPANET: edwards@andy.bgsu.edu
                                              UUCP: ..!osu-cis!bgsuvax!edwards
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