Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!motcsd!starnet!mzellers
From: mzellers@starnet.uucp (Mark Zellers)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: reading image data
Message-ID: <1991Mar21.192142.21585@starnet.uucp>
Date: 21 Mar 91 19:21:42 GMT
References: <21257@shlump.nac.dec.com> <12925@adobe.UUCP> <1991Mar20.190919.25355@cbnewsm.att.com>
Reply-To: mzellers@starnet.UUCP (Mark Zellers)
Distribution: na
Organization: Starnet-Public Access UNIX-Los Altos,CA 415-949-3133, login:info
Lines: 28

In article <1991Mar20.190919.25355@cbnewsm.att.com> kalin@cbnewsm.att.com (andrew.j.kalinowitsch) writes:
>On a related note, is there any way to convert PS instructions that
>produce a relatively small image into the actual bitmap of the image?  
>I've got a file that makes the printer execute all kinds of funky 
>arctangents and curvetos to produce the exact same image over and over
>again -- I'd like to get the image in a bitmap without scanning it
>(and without whipping out the graph paper to do a manual rendering :-) )
>to optimize execution time/throughput.  Any suggestions?
>
>Andy

If you want to reuse the same immage again and again on the same
printer, the best way to go might well be to define it as a font.  It is
not very difficult:  refer to the PostScript Cookbook and Tutorial (the
Blue Book) for an example.  Make sure that you use the setcachedevice
operator to put your character in the font cache.  Then all you need to
do to get your image printed out is to select your font, scale and print
your character.   If it is printed more than once in the same size and
orientation, the bits will come out of the cache.  If you like, you can
store your font in the printer's server loop and it will remain until
the printer is turned off.

Of course, this does not do you any good if you want the bitmap outside
of the printer.  In that case, you would be best off using Ghostscript,
Freedom of the Press or one of the simmilar PostScript clone packages.

Mark H. Zellers
marc.com!bwayne!mark