Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!ukma!gatech!linus!mbunix!ted
From: ted@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Edward J. Ede)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: PostScript compatible printers
Message-ID: <36650@linus.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jul 88 20:56:50 GMT
References: <6085@pyr.gatech.EDU>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: ted@mbunix (Ede)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, Mass.
Lines: 78

In article <6085@pyr.gatech.EDU> robert@pyr.gatech.EDU (Robert Viduya) writes:
>We're looking into purchasing PostScript capable printers for our
>terminal/workstation clusters and we have a question about those
>printers that say they're PostScript compatible, but don't actually use
>the word "PostScript" such as Imagen's line (they call their
>implementation "UltraScript").  

We have a flock of nine of them.  If you don't mind a few PostScript
incompatabilities they're ok. 

They don't have a 'setpapertray' command although the printers do have
multiple drawers.  You are forced to use their DCL (Document Command
Language), which severely limits paperdrawer selection.  There is also
a bug that causes the drawer to switch when it empties and you don't
want it to.

The font metrics dictionaries are not writeable.  This causes 20/20's
PostScript to blow up.  Imagen provided a patch for 20/20's prolog
until they could fix the problem.  Supposedly this and the other bug
will be fixed.

On the positive side, they do use the latest technology engines.  Ours
have Cannon TX and LPB20 engine and the print quality is good.  They
have an ethernet option for the controller which works nicely.  (note:
option == extra cost).  The VMS print symbiont software provided by
Kellerman & Smith is very nice and configureable.  (Plenty of
rope....)

Overall, we like the printers, but they are expensive.  Does GA
Tech get an educational discount from Apple?  The discount price on a
laserwriter IIntx is supposedly very reasonable.  The ntx is a really
nice printer.  The QMS-810 is similar, and based on the same engine.

>We've been told that it's because
>PostScript has a set of standard fonts that are considered to be part of
>the language and that Adobe won't let you call your implementation
>"PostScript" without obtaining those fonts from them.  

All PostScript printers have to have the four Helveticas, Times, and
Couriers, and the Symbol font.  To use those names, you have to
license them from the folks that have the copyright (?) on them.
Adobe does.  Imagen does too.


>The question is
>what other things need to be obtained from Adobe; what other
>requirements are necessary in order for a particular implementation to
>be called "PostScript" as opposed to "PostScript-compatible"?  

Pay Adobe royalties.  Buy PostScript proms from Adobe.
(I think they want $100,000 in prepaid royalties before they will talk
to you about making a PostScript printer.)

>Our main
>concern lies in the non-standard fonts distributed by Adobe, which are
>encrypted by some not-publicly-known means.  The assumption here is that
>if a printer supports "true" PostScript, it should know how to decrypt
>those fonts.  What about PostScript-compatibles, specifically the Imagen
>line?  If we were to buy fonts from Adobe, will we be able to use them
>on a PostScript-compatible printer?

Nope.  You are correct, Adobe fonts can only be used on true PostScript
printers.  They are encrypted and have special 'hints' built in that
are used when imaging the font in different sizes.  Imagen has
licensing agreements with the font owners.  My salesman tells me that
they are committed to provide the same fonts that Adobe provides, but
they do their own font designing and encoding.  No, they don't do
special requests, we already asked.

>Another question I have is about the "eexec" operator.  What exactly
>does this do?  

I'm not sure anyone outside Adobe really knows the answer to this.

Ted Ede -- ted@mitre-bedford.arpa -- The MITRE Corporation -- Burlington Road  
|        -- Bedford MA, 01730 -- Mail Stop B015 -- (617) 271-2524 --        |
|                   - this line intentionally left blank -                  |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+