Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.answers,news.answers Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!brunix!doorknob!jgm From: jgm@cs.brown.edu (Jonathan Monsarrat) Subject: PostScript monthly FAQ v2.1 05-21-93 [05-06 of 11] Message-ID: Followup-To: poster Summary: Useful facts about the PostScript graphics programming language Sender: news@cs.brown.edu Supersedes: Reply-To: jgm@cs.brown.edu (PostScript FAQ comments address) Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 15:29:27 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: Mon, 27 Sep 1993 00:00:00 GMT Lines: 732 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.lang.postscript:20191 comp.answers:1746 news.answers:11811 Archive-name: postscript/faq/part5-6 Last-modified: 1993/05/21 Version: 2.1 -- PostScript -- Answers to Questions (the comp.lang.postscript FAQ v2.1) Jon Monsarrat jgm@cs.brown.edu This FAQ is formatted as a digest. Most news readers can skip from one question to the next by pressing control-G. Changes since the last version are marked with a '|' in the table of contents and in the sections in the text-only format of the FAQ. Please help fix the FAQ! All comments should be mailed to jgm@cs.brown.edu. My favorite way to receive a change suggestion is when it is accompanied by a section of the FAQ that is edited and mailed to me verbatim as an example. If you would like to contribute, please read the section ``about the FAQ'' first. Thank you! Books and programs are referred to by name only. See the book sections for book information, and the comp.sources.postscript FAQ for a full list of all PostScript related programs. I have archived a number of the small utilities in wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/postscript. You can get the comp.sources.postscript FAQ from wilma.cs.brown.edu:pub/comp.sources.postscript. Subject: 5 Books There are many good books on PostScript language programming. Descriptions of all known books are listed below. A listing of publisher information follows. The most commonly known books are the ``blue book'', ``big red book'', and ``green book'' from Adobe, to be read in that order. They are nicknamed according for their jacket colors. Other books recommended to me include Thinking in PostScript, which allows its examples to be freely distributed, and PostScript by Example. Subject: 5.1 Books Adobe Accurate Screens explains in detail all the issues and specifically covers Adobe Accurate Screens -- Adobes' own screening technology. Peter Fink is an expert on the subject of halftone screens as they relate to color issues. Author: Peter Fink Publisher: Adobe Press, 1992. ISBN 0-672-48544-3 Library Call # ??? Adobe Illustrator - The Expert Advisor Series Author: Diane Burns, S. Venit, David Smith Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1989 ISBN: 0-201-14397-6 Cost: $ 22.95 Adobe Illustrator 3 Complete Author: Sharyn Venit Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1991 ISBN: 0-201-57756-9 Cost: $ 24.95 Adobe Illustrator 3.0 - The Official Handbook for Designers Author: Frederic Davis, Tony Bove, Cheryl Rhodes Publisher: Bantam Books, 1991 ISBN: 0-553-35385-3 Cost: $ 26.95 The Adobe Illustrator 3.2 Designer's Guide Author: David Holzgang Publisher: Sybex, Inc., 1992 ISBN: 0-7821-1002-9 Cost: $ 24.95 Adobe Type 1 Font Format, ``the black book'' This is the specification for the Type 1 font format. Type 1 fonts are the standard outline format found in Adobe PostScript printers, implementations of the Display PostScript system, and available as downloadable fonts from the Adobe Type Library. This document describes the syntax of the Adobe Type 1 font format, including complete information regarding hints, encoding of character outlines, and the charstring and eexec encryption algorithms. Author: Adobe Systems Inc Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1990. ISBN: 0-201-57044-0 Build Your Own PostScript Laser Printer & Save a Bundle Author: Horace LaBadie Publisher: T A B Books, 1991 ISBN: 0-8306-3738-9 Cost: $ 16.95 Creating Special Effects on the Macintosh Author: David Holzgang Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1992 ISBN 0-201-57779-8 Design Essentials with Adobe Illustrator & Adobe Photoshop Author: Adobe Press Staff Publisher: Hayden, 1992. ISBN: 0-672-48538-9 Cost: $ 39.95 Design Techniques with Adobe Illustrator Author: Linda Miles, Betty Wilson Publisher: Sams, 1992 ISBN: 0-672-30205-5 Cost: $ 39.95 Display PostScript Programming Author: David A. Holzgang Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1990 ISBN: 0-201-51814-7 Cost: $ 24.95 Encapsulated PostScript: Application Guide for the Macintosh and the PC has its focus is EPS. However, it is an excellent book full of actual real life PostScript and Encapsulated PostScript applications on Macs, PCs, Unix, IBM mainframe, and other computer systems. Author: Peter Vollenweider Publisher: Prentice Hall 1990 ISBN: 0-13-275-843-1 Cost: $ 34.67 Graphic Design With PostScript Author: Gerard Kunkel Publisher: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1990 ISBN 0-673-38794-1 Library Call # Z286.D47K87 Halftoning with Adobe Accurate Screens Author: Peter Fink Publisher: Hayden, 1992 Cost: $ 29.95 Hands On PostScript This is an introduction to PostScript for the novice or casual user. PostScript programming principles are introduced in the context of useful projects (e.g. greeting cards, letterhead, multi-page posters). The book includes five PostScript driver projects in Basic, Pascal, and C. A 3.5" DOS formatted diskette is included with all the source code. It does not cover PostScript level 2. Author: Michael Spring and David Dubin Publisher: Hayden Books, 1992 ISBN 0-672-30185-7 Library Call # 92-71207 Cost: $ 29.95. Inside the Apple LaserWriter Author: Roger Hart Publisher: Scott, Foresman, 1989 ISBN 0-673-38064-5 Library Call # : TK7887.7.H38 Inside PostScript essentially takes one on a tour of the standard internal PostScript code in most printers. The author has worked extensively with an interpreter. (in PostScript terms, no low-level hardware stuff here like cexec and internaldict). Author: Frank Merritt Braswell Publisher: Systems of Merritt & Peachpit Press 1989 ISBN 0-938151-10-X Library Call # QA76.73.P67 B73 1989 Cost: about $ 40. Laserwriter Reference Author: Apple Computer Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1988 ISBN: 0-201-19258-6 Cost: $ 19.95 Learning PostScript, A Visual Approach is a tutorial on the PostScript language. It is very appealing, very easy to follow and filled with examples. Each example occupies two pages. A brief explanation and source code is on the left page, and the resultant print-out is on the facing right page. The book starts off very simply for beginners, and covers a lot of material at the end for experts. It was written before level 2 PostScript. In the later half of the book, a few examples can executed only if an additional disk is purchased. The code for LPAVA is $ 20 from Smith Consultants, 834 Third St., Suite B, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, U.S.A. fax number: 415-524-9775 Author: Ross Smith Publisher: Peachpit Press, 1990 ISBN 0-938151-12-6 Library Call # QA76.73.P67S55 Cost: $ 22.95 Linotronic Imaging Handbook Author: James Cavuoto, Stephen Beale Publisher: Micro Publishing Press, 1990 ISBN 0-941845-06-0 Cost: $ 27.95 Mastering Adobe Illustrator ??? Author: David A. Holzgang Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1988 ISBN ??? Library Call # ??? Mastering Adobe Illustrator 88 Author: Deke McClelland and Craig Danuloff Publisher: Publishing Resources Inc.-Dow Jones Irwin 1988 ISBN: 1-55623-157-1 Cost: $ 27.95 Official Adobe Photoshop Handbook Author: David Biedny Publisher: Bantam Books, 1991 ISBN: 0-553-34876-0 Cost: $ 27.95 PostScript by Example is a tutorial for PostScript people at all levels. It covers level 2 PostScript. The book starts at novice level and works through to Level Two composite fonts, patterns, forms, color, halftones, Display PostScript rectangle operators and text operators. It contains a chapter on practical issues of downloading fonts, talking to printers, and error handling. 640 pages containing over 500 fragments of PostScript code and over 750 illustrations. A long-awaited ``upgrade'' to the Blue Book. Henry McGilton can be reached by email as henry@trilithon.com. Mary Campione can be reached by email as mem@taranis.com. A disk containing 13,000 lines of PostScript code from the book can be ordered separately for $ 20 from: Trilithon Software, Two Ohlone, Portola Valley, CA 94028, U.S.A. Or, send email to info@trilithon.mpk.ca.us. Authors: Henry McGilton and Mary Campione Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1992. ISBN 0-201-63228-4 Library Call # QA76.73.P67M34 A PostScript Cookbook Author: Barry Thomas Publisher: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989. ISBN: 0-442-23686-7 Cost: $ 9.98 Programming the Display PostScript System with Next Step Author: Adobe Systems Inc. Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1991 ISBN: 0-201-58135-3 Cost: $ 26.95 Programming the Display PostScript System with X is written specifically for developers using the X Window System. It is intended to help X application developers improve quality, optimize performance, and minimize development cost. Featuring a Programming Guide with advice on how to write robust, efficient Display PostScript applications, the book also contains a new Toolkit manual and the standard Display PostScript reference manuals. Author: Adobe Systems Inc. Publisher: Addison-Wesley Cost: $ 26.95 PostScript Font Handbook - A Directory of Type 1 Fonts Author: Jonathan Grosvenor Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1992. ISBN: 0-201-56893-4 Cost: $ 24.95 PostScript fuer Workstations Dieses Buch ist in Deutsche geschrieben. Es beschreibt PostScript fuer Workstations, mit Display PostScript, PostScript 2, und Farben. This book is written in German. It describes using PostScript on workstations. It covers Display PostScript, PostScript Level 2, and colors. Author: Peter Vollenweider (rzuvo@rzu.unizh.ch) Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1992. ISBN 3-89319-459-2 PostScript Language Program Design, ``the green book'' is intended to teach the fundamentals of designing PostScript language programs and to show how the language works, so the your programs will be fast, well-behaved, easy to understand, and portable. Code Examples: $ 15 from the developer support hotline. Free from the Adobe mail server (see Section 6, ``About Adobe''). Author: Glenn Reid, Adobe Systems Publisher: Addison Wesley 1988 ISBN 0-201-14396-8 Library Call # QA76.73.P67R45 1988 Cost: $ 22.95 PostScript Language Reference Manual (2nd ed), ``the big red book'' is the book that defines the PostScript language. The second edition not only defines Level 1 PostScript, but also encompasses the color, composite font, file system, and DPS extensions and the PostScript language Level 2. Author: Adobe Systems Incorporated Publisher: Addison Wesley 1985, 1990 ISBN 0-201-18127-4 Library Call # QA76.73.P67P67 1990 Cost: $ 28.95 PostScript Language Reference Manual (1st ed), ``the old red book'' is the first edition of the reference manual. It describes PostScript level 1 only. It is a subset of the PostScript level 2 book, but is still more common and costs less. Author: Adobe Systems Inc. Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1985. ISBN 0-201-10174-2 Library Call # ??? PostScript Language Tutorial and Cookbook, ``the blue book'' is the most common tutorial book on PostScript. It provides an easy, informal introduction to the PostScript language and graphics primitives. The cookbook is a collection of programs that are offered as examples of PostScript usage. These samples have been chosen both as illustrations of the functional range of PostScript and as useful ingredients for inclusion in application packages. Code Examples: $ 15 from the developer support hotline. Free from the Adobe mail server (see Section 6, ``About Adobe''). Author: Adobe Systems Incorporated Publisher: Addison Wesley 1985, 1990 ISBN 0-201-10179-3 Library Call # : QA76.73.P67P67 1985 Cost: $ 16.75 PostSCript Programmer's Reference Guide is an authoritative guidance for programmers, developers, or anyone who wants to get the most out of PostScript. It offers clear instructions, a complete language reference section, and a cookbook of hands-on sample routines. (avail for $ 20 extra on disk) ... It includes complete information on PhoenixPage/PS, Phoenix Technologies' fully PostScript-compatible language. Author: David Holzgang Publisher: Scott, Foresman & Co ISBN 0-673-38574-4 Library Call # QA76.73.P67H64 Cost: $ 24.95 Programming the Display PostScript System with NeXTstep, ``The Purple Book'' is written for the NeXT programming environment; however, much of the information it contains applies to all Display PostScript developers. The book explains the language extensions commonly used within applications, describes many of the key aspects of the PostScript language imaging model, and provides a framework for creating Display PostScript language applications. Author: Adobe Systems, Inc (principal author: Ken Fromm) Publisher: Addison-Wesley ISBN 0-201-58135-3 Library Call # QA76.73.P67P76 Cost: $ 26.95 Programming the LaserWriter Author: David Holzgang Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1991 ISBN: 0-201-57068-8 Library Call # TK7887.7.H65 Cost: $ 24.95 Rapid Reference Guide To System 7, The Laserwriter Family, Hypercard Author: Michael Fraase Publisher: DOWI, 1992 ISBN: 1556239025 Cost: $ 24.95 Real World PostScript: Techniques from PostScript professionals - ``The Orange Book'' is a collection of articles dealing with ``real world'' PostScript language issues and specific applications such as font creation, color separation, kerning, halftoning, various other topics. It contains a text formatter written in PostScript, and concentrates on doing very sophisticated things with fonts and dictionaries. Short overview of chapters: PostScript As A Design Tool; PostScript As A Programming Language; Writing Device Independent PostScript; Kerning, Tracking And Letterspacing, Precise Character Bounding Boxes; Building Fonts; Building Smart Fonts; Font Encoding Vector Compatibility; Building A PostScript Typeface; PostScript Color Operations; PostScript Color Separations; A Spread From Graphic Perspective; A PostScript Four-Color Poster; Graphing And Typesetting With PostScript; The Evolution Of A Complex Geometric Logo Author: Stephen F. Roth, editor. Publisher: Addison Wesley, 1988. ISBN: 0-201-06663-7 Library Call # Z286.D47R4 1988 Cost: $ 22.95 Running PostScript from MS-DOS, 5.1 provides a good and brief introduction to PostScript and has lots of useful information on printing PostScript from PCs. Author: Gary Glover Publisher: T A B Books, 1989. ISBN: 0-8306-0135-X Library Call # : QA76.73.P67G56 Cost: $ 24.95 Taking Advantage of PostScript is very graphically and visually oriented and includes a section on PostScript Level 2. Author: John F. Sherman Publisher: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, 1991. ISBN: 0-697-14032-6 Thinking in PostScript is a guide to developing programming techniques and to learning how to use the PostScript tool kit. In this book you can find some useful techniques even if you think of yourself as an expert PS programmer. It overlaps very little with existing material. You can find there numerous practical examples in all areas of PS language programming, including the Display PS system. In this volume you will also find: (a) never-before-published information on the PS language (b) useful algorithms for loops, conditionals, and I/O (c) detailed coverage of files, strings, and dictionaries (d) simple and elegant programming techniques The books comes recommended by many. There are also exercises after each Chapter with the results at the end of the book. You can really find examples how to define new useful operators or procedures which you cannot find in the Adobe books. To get the examples from the book for free, send email to the author, glenn@rightbrain.com. Author: Glenn C. Reid Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1989 ISBN 0-201-52372-8 Library Call # : QA76.73.P67R46 Cost: $ 22.95 Understanding PostScript, 3rd edition Author: David A. Holzgang Publisher: Sybex, 1992 ISBN: 0-7821-1059-2 Cost: $ 29.95 Understanding PostScript Programming, Second Edition ??? Author: David Holzgang Publisher: Sybex, 1988. ISBN 0-89588-566-2 Library Call # : ??? The Verbum Book of PostScript Illustration Authors: Michael Gosney, Janet Ashford, and Linnea Dayton Publisher: M & T Books, 1990. ISBN 1-55851-089-3 Library Call # : QA76.73.P67G57 Cost: $ 29.95 Subject: 5.2 Publishers Most of the above books should be available in any big bookstore that has a computer section. Or contact the publishers: Addison-Wesley, Retail Sales Group, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., One Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867, U.S.A. Phone 800-447-2226 or 617-944-3700, Fax 617-942-1117. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 2200 Powell Street, Emeryville, California 94608 U.S.A. Phone (510) 601-4000 Adobe Press ??? Bantam Computer Books New York, NY, U.S.A. Wm. C. Brown, Publishers Dubuque, IA, U.S.A. Hayden Books, 11711 N. College Ave., Carmel, IN 46032. Micro Publishing Press 21150 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 104, Torrance, California 90503 U.S.A. Peachpit Press, 1085 Keith Ave., Berkeley, CA 94708, U.S.A. 800-283-9444, or 415-527-8555. Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 Scott, Foresman and Company 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, IL 60025 Publishing Resources Inc.-Dow Jones Irwin ??? Sams Carmel, IN, U.S.A. Sybex 2021 Challenger Drive, # 100, Alameda, California 94501. T A B Books Blue Ridge Summit, PA, U.S.A. Windcrest Books Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania 17294-0850 Van Nostrand Reinhold New York, NY, U.S.A. You can purchase the red, blue, green, and black books from Adobe Systems by calling 800-83-FONTS. Subject: 6 About Adobe PostScript was created by Adobe Systems Incorporated, which offers information and sells programs pertaining to PostScript. Currently the only large PostScript company that I have information on is Adobe. I would be happy to include information about others. Subject: 6.1 How do I get in touch with Adobe? Adobe Systems Incorporated Main phone: +1-415-961-4400 1585 Charleston Road Main FAX: +1-415-961-3769 P.O. Box 7900 Mountain View, CA 94039-7900 If you want technical help using Adobe retail products (e.g. ATM, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Fonts): Adobe forum on CompuServe, call 1-408-986-6500 (for Macintosh) or 1-408-986-6530 (for Windows, Unix) Also use this number to report bugs in retail products. Adobe also has an automated tech support line, which will fax technical notes and product literature to you, and attempt to answer common questions via a menu-driven system. That number is 1-800-235-0078. For sales information on Adobe retail products (prices, catalogues, etc.), call +1-800-235-0078 (fax-back brochures) or +1-800-833-6687 (applications sales) The Developer's Hotline is +1-415-961-4111 (Voicemail) (note: members have priority, but they'll take questions from general public.) Also use this number for information about the ADA or Adobe SDK's. To suggest product enhancements, write or fax to ``Product Manger, product name' at address above. In Europe: Adobe Systems BV, Europlaza, Hoogoorddreef 51a, 1101 BE Amsterdam Z-O, NETHERLANDS. TEL +31-20-65-11-200. FAX +31-20-65-11-300. In the eastern United States: Adobe Sys. Inc., 24 New England Executive Park, Burlington MA 01803. TEL +1-617-273-2120. FAX +1-617-273-2336. In Japan: Adobe Systems Japan, Swiss Bank House, 4-1-8 Toranomon, Minato ku, Tokyo 105 JAPAN. TEL +81-3-3437-8950. FAX +81-3-3437-8968. Subject: 6.2 What can Adobe do for me? Adobe is just one of many companies producing products for PostScript, but it does produce a lot of the best. Adobe offers two resources for software developers. 1. Membership in the Adobe Developers Association (ADA) ( $ 195/year) 2. PostScript Language Software Development Kit (SDK) ( $ 500, $ 250 for ADA) The Developer's Association is Adobe's way of knowing who has a serious interest in technical information. Membership includes monthly technical newsletter, phone technical support, discounts on software and hardware. Membership is $ 195/year for each individual. The PostScript Language Software Development Kits collect all Adobe's technical literature for a given platform into a single package. There are four versions, for the Mac, MS-DOS/Windows, NeXTStep, and X/Windows. Each SDK is $ 500 list, $ 250 for ADA members. A selection of technical documents is available from Adobe's file server, including the aforementioned EPS specification. Programs are also available, including level 1 emulations for the level 2 color operators. For more information on this, send the one-word message ``help'' to ps-file-server@adobe.com. Or you can ftp to ftp.adobe.com. These documents are also available by mail; call the Developers Line and ask for the documents catalog. The ps-file-server contains some specs, tech notes, sample programs, plus a large collection of AFM files and PPD files. Send a message containing ``help'' to ps-file-server@adobe.com for more information. You can get these files for free with email.