Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:49749 comp.lang.postscript:4328
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From: clark@randvax.UUCP (John Clark)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.lang.postscript
Subject: HOW TO MANIPULATE/CONVERT POSTSCRIPT IMAGES?
Message-ID: <2421@randvax.UUCP>
Date: 2 Mar 90 02:44:33 GMT
Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica, Ca.
Lines: 33

Seeking suggestions for ways to manipulate postscript images on the Mac.

I have a bunch of raw, generic, postscript text files... mostly simple
line art--maps and such. I can print them on a LaserWriter with SendPS.

How can I fiddle with the images--not just the raw postscript code--on
a Mac? I'd be happy if I could convert them to encapsulated postscript,
or equivalently, to PICTs. Then any garden variety draw program would
suffice. At least, I could grab the PICTs with ResEdit.

Mathematica, though it's probably overkill, understands postscript and
works fine; however, it seems to truncate really large postscript files,
somewhere around 150K, and its image manipulation/editing capabilities are
limited.

I've heard, third hand:
    --that Adobe Illustrator understands an abbreviated ("aliased") variant
      of postscript, but not the standard postscript;

    --that Aldus Freehand won't read straight postscript;

    --that LaserTalk works, but requires a laserwriter online to interpret
      the postscript, and is very slow.
(I have no verification or explanation for any of this.)

Comments, confirmations, denials, disavowals, suggestions, &c, are
welcome.  I'd be especially happy to hear of any Mac PD/shareware/freeware
that might be useful for manipulating or converting postscript.

Thanks!

John Clark
Internet: clark@rand.org