Ghostscript is a software suite containing utilities to convert and manipulate graphical documents in Adobe's PostScript and Portable Document Format (PDF) formats. Ghostscript can generate files in many standard image formats from a PostScript or PDF document, or vice versa. The problem I was running into was that programming a PDF is no simple task. That, and I already had the documents in another format (Excel). Knowing that there were PDF print drivers, I decided to figure out how they worked. I noticed that almost all of them used Ghostscript, a program to convert PostScript to PDF format. Nov 20, 2018 Ghostscript is capable of interpreting PostScript, encapsulated PostScript (EPS), DOS EPS (EPSF), and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The interpreter reads and executes the files in sequence, using the method described under 'File searching' to find them. The interpreter runs in interactive mode by default.
- Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example Pdf
- Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example
- Ghostscript Ps To Pdf
- Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example
- Ghostscript Convert Pdf
- Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example C#
Name
ps2pdf - Convert PostScript to PDF using ghostscriptps2pdf12 - Convert PostScript to PDF 1.2 (Acrobat 3-and-later compatible) using ghostscript
ps2pdf13 - Convert PostScript to PDF 1.3 (Acrobat 4-and-later compatible) using ghostscript
Synopsis
ps2pdf [options..] {input.[e]ps|-} [output.pdf|-]ps2pdf12
[options..] {input.[e]ps|-} [output.pdf|-]
ps2pdf13 [options..] {input.[e]ps|-} [output.pdf|-]
Description
The ps2pdf scripts are work-alikes for nearly all the functionality (but not the userinterface) of Adobe's Acrobat(TM) Distiller(TM) product: they convert PostScript files to Portable Document Format (PDF) files.If the output filename is not specified, the output is placed is a file of the same name with a '.pdf' extension. Either the input filename or the outputfilename can be '-' to request reading from stdin or writing to stdout, respectively, when used as a filter.
The three scripts differ as follows:
Options
The ps2pdf scripts use the same options as gs(1).Examples
Converting a figure.ps to figure.pdf:
- ps2pdf
- -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress figure.ps proof.pdf
Converting as part of a pipe:
- Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example Pdf
- 1.2 — equivalent to a PDF created with Acrobat version 3.0. This is the ps2pdf’s default.
- 1.3 — equivalent to a PDF created with Acrobat version 4.0.
- 1.4 — equivalent to a PDF created with Acrobat version 5.0.
- Your PDF is created with the standard 12 PostScript fonts, and
- Any fonts that may not be installed on the computer on which your PDF is being viewed are available.
/screen
— creates a low-resolution PDF optimized for reading on a monitor./ebook
— the PDF has a slightly higher resolution, for better reading of electronic books on a monitor or on a smaller device like a PDA or an electronic book reader./printer
— the PDF is generated for printing on a laser or ink jet printer, or to be distributed on a disk or CD-ROM./prepress
— the PDF is generated for a high-quality printing press./default
— the PDF can be used for all the output listed above. However, the file will be larger than it would if you used a single type.
Running ps2pdf
Let’s assume that you’ve created a PostScript file and now want to convert it to PDF. If you are in a graphical environment like KDE or GNOME, open a terminal window and change to the directory containing the PostScript file that you want to convert. Then, type
ps2pdf
followed by the name of your PostScript file. For example:ps2pdf gundam.ps HeavyArms.pdf
You don’t need to include the name of the PDF file on the command line. If you leave it out ps2pdf gives the PDF file the name of the PostScript file and a .pdf file type.
If all goes well, you’ll have yourself a PDF file that you can view in Acrobat Reader, xpdf, or any other PDF viewer. The PDF may have no navigation features or links, and it may also be quite large, but it can be used for creating proofs, for archiving, or for passing documents to family, friends, and colleagues.
If you are using Knoppix you may find that ps2pdf doesn’t work. I’ve been told that version 3.2 of the Knoppix distribution doesn’t come with the ps2pdf script. Instead, it uses a script called ps2pdfwr, which uses the same syntax as ps2pdf.
Using ps2pdf’s parameters
One way to enhance your PDF files is to use ps2pdf with one of more of the 75 Acrobat Distiller parameters. The Distiller parameters are simply command-line options that enable you to change how your PDFs are produced, and they’re documented in the file
ps2pdf.htm
in the doc folder where GhostScript is installed. ps2pdf can use all of the parameters available to Acrobat Distiller, but I have found four in particular to be the most useful, as we’ll see in a moment.Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example
Using the Distiller parameters with ps2pdf is simple. On the command line, type
ps2pdf
followed by -d
, followed by the parameter name, followed by the name of the PostScript file:No need to wait for office hours or assignments to be graded to find out where you took a wrong turn. Calculus 9th edition by salas hille etgen pdf converter download.
ps2pdf -dParameterName myFile.ps
Setting PDF compatibility
As with many file formats, PDF gains new features with each new version of Acrobat. For example, PDFs created with Adobe Acrobat versions 4.0 and onward support enhanced security, transparency, compression, and annotations. However, you never know what version of a PDF reader someone will be using, or whether it will support the full feature set. To ensure that your PDFs can be viewed in both newer and older versions of PDF readers, you can set a compatibility level for the PDF by using the
CompatibilityLevel=x.x
parameter, where x.x
is the version of the PDF specification. Note that the specification number does not correspond to the version of the Acrobat software. Rather, there are three values you can use with this parameter: For example:
ps2pdf -dCompatibilityLevel=1.3 ps2pdf.ps
If you are unsure of what compatibility level to use, stick with the default. If you have version 7.0 or higher of GhostScript installed on your computer, you can use the ps2pdf13 or ps2pdf14 scripts to automatically set the compatibility level.
Optimizing your PDFs
No matter what size your PDF file is, you probably want to create it so that the file opens and displays as quickly as possible, especially if you plan to host the file on a network or on the Web. Optimizing a PDF tweaks the structure of the file so that a server sends a page only as it is requested, rather than loading the entire PDF file. To optimize your PDFs, use the
Optimize=true
parameter. For example:ps2pdf -dOptimize=true report.ps
Embedding fonts
Ghostscript Ps To Pdf
In some PDF files the fonts appear fuzzy. I have found this is especially true of PostScript files created with the TeX and LaTeX typesetting systems, which by default use a unique set of fonts. If you find that the fonts in your PDF file are fuzzy, you can embed the fonts used in the source document with the PDF. Embedding fonts ensures that:
Embed fonts by adding the
EmbedAllFonts=true
parameter to the command line:ps2pdf -dEmbedAllFonts=true WonderDog.ps
The main drawback to using
EmbedAllFonts
is that your PDF will become noticeably larger.Compressing the PDF
You can shrink large PDF files by as much as half of their original size using the
UseFlateCompression=true
parameter. Flate compression, also called Zip compression, does a good job shrinking text and graphics without distorting the content. To use flate compression with ps2pdf, type the following at the command line:
ps2pdf -dUseFlateCompression=true greatNovel.ps
Specifying the target device
One of the great things about PDF files is that they can be used for a variety of purposes. They can be viewed on screen, downloaded as electronic books, or printed on a laser, ink jet, or professional printer. You can specify five types of target device for your PDF using the
PDFSETTINGS
parameter: To use this parameter with ps2pdf, type the following at the command line:
Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example
ps2pdf -dPDFSETTINGS=/printer galleyProof.ps
Troubleshooting
Ghostscript Convert Pdf
While ps2pdf generally does a good job, I’ve found it susceptible to a couple of common problems. Sometimes, ps2pdf has trouble with a PostScript file and fails to perform the conversion. If something goes wrong, a set of indecipherable messages appears in the terminal window as shown below:
If you see this, try recreating the PostScript file and running ps2pdf again. This kind of error message also rears its head when you mistype the name of the PostScript file. Check your typing against the name of the PostScript file and try running it through ps2pdf again.
A second problem with ps2pdf is that the PDFs produced by ps2pdf vary in quality from production level to fuzzy. The quality of the output really depends on the source PostScript file and the fonts that you use. Often the output looks fuzzy because the fonts in a document aren’t the standard 12 PostScript fonts. Instead, ps2pdf uses lower-quality bitmapped fonts. While the document may appear distorted in a PDF reader, it actually prints clearly and cleanly. To get around this problem, try using the
EmbedAllFonts=true
parameter.Ghostscript Ps To Pdf Example C#
Conclusion
ps2pdf is a viable alternative to Acrobat Distiller. It’s easy to use, fast, and in most cases creates a nice PDF file. With a few additions to the command line you can use ps2pdf to make handsome PDF files, and you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on proprietary software to do it.
Scott Nesbitt, a devoted Linux user, writes from Toronto, Canada.