Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken!gauss.llnl.gov!casey From: casey@gauss.llnl.gov (Casey Leedom) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc Subject: (summary) Stupid Novice Question: How do I get PostScript from MacDraw II? Message-ID: <67497@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> Date: 4 Sep 90 18:28:06 GMT References: <67279@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV> Sender: usenet@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lines: 250 Thanks for the many replies. Almost all of them were olong the lines of ``Hit command/f or command/k immediately after hitting the OK button in the printer dialogue pop-up. Make sure background printing is turned off.'' There were some variations along the lines of control/f&k, plain f&k and several other combinations of modifier keys, but most people said to use command/f&k. A couple of people also suggested that I click on the OK button, type the command/f-or-k and then release the OK button. The difference between using "f" and using "k" is supposed to be that "f" is supposed to just dump the raw PostScript and "k" is supposed to prepend the raw PostScript with the Apple dictionary for use with none Apple printers. Obviously, since I want to be able to offer the file via anonymous ftp, etc., I want to use "k". Unfortunately no combination of modifier keys with "f" or "k" type before, during or immediately after hitting the printer dialogue OK button worked. MacDraw II seemed to trap all key strokes no matter what we did. Not being an Macintoch internals expert -- or even a Macintosh user level novice -- I can't say what was really going on. All I can say is that when we tried command/f the ARRANGE pull-down menu title would highlight as if MacDraw were going for the ``arrange forward'' action. Similarly, when we just typed "f", the "f" would get inserted into the document. We were finally able to get PostScript output by using a program called "mypagesetup-13" available via anonymous ftp from SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU in the file info-mac/util/mypagesetup-13.hqx. This allowed us to set up a global laser printer default for all applications. It appeared to do this by replacing the standard printer dialogue pop-up with its own (I don't know -- I'm not even a novice.) In any case, when the printer dialogue showed up after running mypagesetup, it included a check off box for diskfile output! Worked great, no muss, no fuss. Unfortunately ... I haven't been able to make the resulting PostScript files work. I grabbed a copy of the Apple dictionary (68.0 via diffing Microsoft Word command/f and command/k outputs), prepended it to the PostScript0 file, but no go. I had to remove some binary header and trailer from both files after ftp'ing them from the Macintosh (in binary mode) and then had to convert the carriage returns to line feeds, but nothing worked. The printer just ate the files up and never output anything. Not being a PostScript expert, I think I'll have to give up and just mail paper copies of the file to people. Attached is a copy of my original request and all the replies I received. Again, thanks to everyone for the help! Casey -------------------- From: casey@gauss.llnl.gov (Casey Leedom) I've got a MacDraw II file that I'd like to get a PostScript version of so I can make the PostScript available via anonymous ftp from a Unix system. Obviously MacDraw II knows how to create PostScript because it can print to a LaserWriter. How do I get MacDraw II to leave its PostScript output around for me to snarf? Please email directly to me (casey@gauss.llnl.gov.) I don't read this news group. I will summarize the answers back to this news group. Thanks and sorry for such a stupid question (believe me, we've tried for over two hours to no avail!) -------------------- From: "David Walton" Date: Wed, 29 Aug 90 23:53:42 CDT Organization: U. Chicago Computing Organizations, Academic and Public Comp. Well, it's actually not a stupid novice question at all. MacDraw II doesn't necessarily know beans about PostScript; translation between QuickDraw (the Macintosh internal graphics engine) and PostScript is in fact handled by the LaserWriter driver, not MacDraw II. Therefore, to get the PostScript, you'll have to coerce the driver into giving it to you. This is how: When printing to the LaserWriter, turn background printing off (in the Chooser). When you get the print dialog box up on the screen (number of copies, etc., etc.), hit K or F _immediately_ (I mean right after) you hit the OK button to send it to the printer. This spools the PostScript to a text file on the disk, with the helpful name of "PostScript0." You'll know that this is successful when the status bar says "Creating PostScript file" instead of "Looking for LaserWriter Mean Green Blue Jeans." The different between K and F is that K prepends the LaserPrep file, which contains Apple's PostScript dictionary. Whether you want it depends on what sort of device you're printing to (and I'm not familiar enough with printing issues to say). This process can be more difficult than it sounds. Some programs--like Microsoft Word--seem to intercept the keystrokes so that the printer driver doesn't get them, and therefore blithely send the output to the printer as if nothing had happened. In general, this is a pretty stupid way to have to save the PostScript, and Apple will change this in System 7.0. If you know how to use ResEdit (or if you know what it is), I can tell you an easier method, but in the meantime, you're stuck with this. -------------------- From: ericd@csufres.CSUFresno.EDU (Eric Douglas) Date: Wed, 29 Aug 90 22:13:45 -0700 To get a postscript file from any mac program, hold down CMD-F immediately after clicking OK in the print dialog. The screen will read "Creating Postscript file" If you want the laser prep file to be saved along with it, you press CMD-K. It is imperative that you type the command immediately after clicking OK. To give the command quickly, I usually hold down the CMD key, and click on OK with the mouse. Then, immediately press F. Another thing, any print spoolers must be turned off or set not to spool. -------------------- From: ames!claris!portal!cup.portal.com!fleming@tis.llnl.gov X-Origin: The Portal System (TM) X-Possible-Reply-Path: fleming@cup.portal.com X-Possible-Reply-Path: sun!portal!cup.portal.com!fleming Print normally, click "OK", and IMMEDIATELY hold down Cloverleaf-F or Cloverleaf-K. ("F" produces raw PostScript; "K" includes the LaserPrep dictionary if you're printing on a non-AppleTalked printer.) File will be saved as text, filename "PostScript0" somewhere in your root or System Folder, I forget which. Aren't undocumented features fun? (LaserWriter 6.0 adds an option for PostScript to disk in the dialob oops dialog box.) -------------------- From: schwer@unix.sri.com (Len Schwer) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 90 07:42:48 PDT Organization: APTEK, Inc., San Jose, CA Instructions for capturing PS on Mac Here is the deal as I understand it: Most Mac application generate QuickDraw which is kind of a short hand form of PostScript. For the LaserWriter to interpret QuickDraw the printer first has to be sent a LaserPrep file which conrains the macro defintions that can interpret QuickDraw. To generate the QuickDraw equivalent from your application press the command/Apple/clover-leaf key and the f-key at the same time just after clicking OK in the print dialog box; I've been told, but haven't tested, that one can hold down command-f and then click on the ok. You should see a message in the print dialog box that says something to the effect that a PostScript file is being generated; this file will appear on your desktop as PostScript0 and subsequent files will be named PostScript1 etc. (you can use the Finder to locate files named PostScript if in doubt about where the file resides). To generate the LaserPrep file, repeat the above procedure with command-k replacing command-f. This will generate a PostScript file that contains both the LaserPrep and the QuickDraw equivalent from your application. It should be evident where the LaserPrep ends and the QuickDraw begins especially if you already have the conmmand-f file for comparison. You can upload the command-f file to your host machine via Kermit or something similar without problems. The Laserprep file will probably require some editing on the Mac side, because it contains some huge (>255 bytes) records that most file transfer protocals gag on real bad. The long records are near the bottom of the LaserPrep and you can just insert carriage returns at convient lengths to make the file transportable. Once you upload the LaserPrep file you'll only need to upload the command-f files in the future. To print the files, combine the LaserPrep file with the command-f (LaserPrep pre-appended to command-f) and send them as a PostScript file via your print symbiont to the LaserWriter. If it doesn't work its probably because the LaserPrep file got trashed in the transfer, so try transfering that file again. -------------------- From: mjv@brownvm.brown.edu (Marshall Vale) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 1990 14:20:25 EDT Organization: Language Resource Center Actually, MacDraw II does not know PostScript. It is solely a QuickDraw program. What is doing the converting is the LaserWriter driver. To dump the PostScript program that is being sent to the LW do this: Right after you click OK in the print dialog box (and I do mean immediately) type Option-K. This will dump a PS version of your document called PostScript 0. This works for all programs. -------------------- From: cs225 Student Date: Fri, 31 Aug 90 01:20:17 -0500 I believe that you should be able to get a postscript output from any program that will print to a Laserwriter.. I think that when you are presented with the Print Dialog box, if you hold the option key down as you press okay, the Macintosh will print a PS file to the disk labelled something like Postscript0, 1...etc I think that should do it. This should work with any program. -------------------- From: Christian Beilken Date: Fri, 31 Aug 90 10:49:17 -0200 The driver knows it - not MacDraw. It is an undocumented feature: In the Print-Dialog you have to - press the mouse-button on okay and hold it down - press the keys control-f - release all three A file containing the postscript should be generated. You need to have a new system version (system 6.x.x should work) and the printmonitor (printerspooler) must be deactivated. (Remove it from the system folder and boot again). -------------------- From: Jason Date: Sat, 1 Sep 90 16:18:35 -0500 Regarding your posting on comp.sys.mac (which, by the way, is by no means a novice or stupid question), creating a PostScript file from a document simply requires that you have the LaserWriter (not the LaserWriter IISC) printer driver installed in your system folder. Use the chooser to select the LaserWriter driver (you need not have an actual LaserWriter printer). Open the desired document and select Print... from the File menu. Click OK and immediately hold down the "f" key (or the "k" key--there is a difference: one includes the LaserPrep file in the resulting document, but I don't no whether f or k does this) until a window appears with the message "Creating a PostScript(R) file." The PostScript code that would normally be sent to a LaserWriter is written to a file entitled PostScript0 (or PostScript1, etc.) which will reside most likely in the folder containing the application which you "printed" from. Incidentally, if you're wondering where this is documented, join the club (perhaps in the _Apple_LaserWriter_Reference_, who knows?). -------------------- From: hans@smab.se (Hans C Larsson) Date: Mon, 3 Sep 90 14:11:57 +0200 Press Command-F *immediately* after clicking the OK button in the Print dialog box. The file will be named PostScript0 and will reside somewhere on the disk. You may need to turn off any print-spoolers before dumping.