Don Lancaster's PostScript Resources

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I have long been overly enameled with the PostScript Language from Adobe Systems. While an amazingly flexible and totally general purpose computer language, PostScript excells at world class fonts and typography.

But little appreciated is PostScript's ability to handle most any technical math or engineering illustrations task, as well as being able to be taught to read or write most any disk file in any language.

PostScript works best in a non-interactive batch processing mode. It is easily and flexibly extensible but is presently limited to 32 bit math. And is often not WYSIWYG. It is extremely easy to edit, while its final .pdf results may not be.

The preferred method of running a PostScript program is to convert it to a Acrobat .pdf file. This is normally done by sending a .psl file ( aka a "Lancaster-PostScript" standard ASCII textfile ) to Acrobat Distiller by way of a command line instruction of //acrodist /F. Use of the /F is especially important if the code is to read or write any disk file.

Note that a .psl file will usually come up in an editor of your choice, while a .ps file will usually directly execute in Distiller. PostScript also has a .log file output capability from which most any text can be created. Besides being a superb debugging tool. This is especially useful when outputting code for a different computer language.

PostScript is also exceptionally adept at modifying bitmaps. As our Architect's Perspective and Auto-Vignetting Backgrounder routines shown below. And their many examples you can find here.

Acrobat and its included Distiller are available as a stand alone program or can be rented as part of the Adobe Cloud Program.

It is also possible to use free GhostScript or Google Drive for a relatively small subset of PostScript programs. But there may be issues with images versus pdf, log files, "run" includes, reading and writing disk files, and several others. So, I strongly recommend "real" Postscript via Distiller.

Some demos of PostScript programs tested suitable for full Google Drive compatibility can be found below. Please note that the first four characters sent to Google Drive must be %!PS if their Artifex PostScript clone is to be used.

.psl sourcecode is available for many of these columns. Just substitute .psl for the .pdf file extension to find out when and if it is available.

Very few PostScript programs are Google Drive compatible. Issues include images versus .pdf, log files, reading and writing disk files, and more. But those programs that do give acceptable results can be fast and free.

These .psl files have been verified as Google Drive compatible. Check out the brick wall below for the unquestionably ultimate PostScript hack anytime, any place, ever. Yup. Gotcha.

Many more classic reprints can be found here.

Older full width version of this file can be found here.

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