Re: PostScript substitutions P.S.

[Phil Smith phil@xxxxxxxx]

>
>	What is Postscript? Is it a language, a version
>	of the Hewlett Packard printer command language (PCL)
>	or is it a printer thing.
>
>	I see printers cost more for the P after their name.
>
>	What is the benefit over the straight courier font
>	that I get from my Epson dot-matrix printer?
>
>	Can it make my screen font prettier in DOS?
>
>					say@xxxxxxxx
>
>


PostScript is a "page-description language", a full-blown computer language
whose main strengths are its ability to set type and draw pictures for a
printer. It is arcane and hard to work in, and when you look at the
PostScript generated by, say, Windows95 or CorelDraw, it is completely
impenetrable. On the other hand PS gives huge flexibility for typesetting
and generally preparing material for a printer. We are fortunate that Xy
produces legible PostScript that one can actually work with.

One of its touted abilities is that of being able to print at any size. If
you want to print in Palatino-Italic at 55.4 points, you can. Or if you
have a logo in PS form you can squunch it down or blow it up at the touch
of a finger (so to speak).

PostScript lies behind Adobe's PageMaker (I guess you could use other
languages with PM; don't really know) and there are a zillion fonts which
you can buy and use. You are right that PS printers cost something more --
usually a few hundred dollars more -- but they allow some very serious
printing. And Xy3 and Xy4 both yield PS output if you want it. I have just
completed the printing of camera-ready pages for a 260-page book using Xy4
and it looks gorgeous, if I do say so. Thanks to PS (and the book designer,
not me).

Xy also allows you to imbed PS code in your files. E.g., we have our
letterhead(s) in PS form and I imbed a company letterhead, or a personal
letterhead, using whatever address, on the fly, thus avoiding the cost of
printed letterhead. (Of course, my letterheads are black&white only; maybe
a color printer would do prettier ones, but I don't have one.)

I wish I, too, could make pretty screen fonts in DOS, but I am not aware
that PS will be any help here. The NeXt computer was said to use "Display
PostScript" for its screen, but I never saw one.

I hope this helps.

Cheers!

Phil Smith