Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uunet!drivax!liberato
From: liberato@dri.com (Jimmy Liberato)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Word Processors & PostScript
Message-ID: <1XYQMP5@dri.com>
Date: 28 Sep 90 05:07:50 GMT
References: <895@h.cs.wvu.wvnet.edu> <558@macuni.mqcc.mq.oz>
Reply-To: liberato@dri.com (Jimmy Liberato)
Organization: Digital Research, Inc., Monterey, California
Lines: 41

ifarqhar@sunc.mqcc.mq.oz.au (Ian Farquhar) writes:

>In article <895@h.cs.wvu.wvnet.edu> parker@cs.wvu.wvnet.edu (James Parker) writes:

>> 4. Should be able to output PostScript to a file so as to be able to be
>>    printed from other platforms which are connected to PostScript printers.

>You have to be careful here.  Because the Amiga does not support
>properly device independent graphics (that great double edged sword),
>many programs handle postscript poorly.  Of particular note (for it's
>stupidity) is Excellence!, which just dumps a bitmap to the Postscript
>printer.  I suppose this is WYSIWYG, you get what you see on the screen,
>at the same resolution, in the same horrible fonts.  MSS should have
>been shot for that.

This comment is very puzzling.  MSS's excellence! has excellent PostScript
capabilities.  Of course you must use their provided PostScript fonts and
associated metric files (you can even use the Adobe fonts from WorkBench 1.3).
I normally use my own custom sanserif font for creating the document and then
on final edit switch to one of the Postscript fonts (note: pitch should be 15).
A perusal of a print to file reveals they are doing things correctly. 

I regularly print memos and reports with perfect results.  The only time a
bitmap is involved is when I import a logo that is an IFF.  But the bitmap
only involves the graphic.  You are correct in mentioning that Preferences
needs to be avoided when doing PostScript output.  That is no problem.  You
simply print to a file (to be taken to another machine) or directly to the 
serial or parallel port from the application itself.  What is particularly
impressive is to go into 16 color mode to import a graphic and then print
to an NEC Colorscript (or similar) color PostScript printer.

I have no experience with other Amiga wordprocessors but I can say without
equivocation that excellence! easily satisfies Mr. Parker's requirements.  
The only complaint I ever had was that I could out type the cursor.  Even
that failing is no longer true.  I have used it for three years and never
once crashed.  The most recent version (August 7, '90) incorporates the 
Proximity/Merriam-Webster Linguibase (dictionary) and Thesaurus.

--
Jimmy Liberato   liberato@dri.com
                 ...uunet!drivax!liberato