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From: reid@DECWRL.DEC.COM.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.laser-printers
Subject: Re: postscript printers
Message-ID: <8607142249.AA05415@saturn.DEC.COM>
Date: Mon, 14-Jul-86 18:49:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: saturn.8607142249.AA05415
Posted: Mon Jul 14 18:49:00 1986
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It is possible to write a PostScript program that will not work on
every printer. It is equally possible to write a Pascal program that
will not work on every computer. However, there is a set of rules, all
of which are documented, such that if you follow them, your PostScript
program will work anywhere.

In the particular case of the TeX driver, its problem is that it messes
around with the transformation matrix. The QMS 1200 printer feeds paper
long-edge-first, while the Apple printer feeds paper short-edge-first
(rotated 90 degrees from that). This means that the default
transformation matrices are different--rotated, translated, etc.

If you use "setmatrix", to forcibly stuff a transformation matrix out
there (rather than concatenating them from the default matrix), then
you will have created a machine-dependent PostScript file (unless the
matrix that you are setting was created properly).

Brian Reid