DVI2PS(1) | General Commands Manual | DVI2PS(1) |
dvi2ps - convert a DVI file to PostScript
dvi2ps [-D var=val] [-F fontdesc] [-K] [-R n] [-S] [-c output-file] [-d] [-f n] [-i file] [-m n] [-n n] [-o str] [-q] [-r] [-s file] [-t n] [-w] [dvifile[.dvi]]
This program converts a DVI file to PostScript, and writes the result to standard output. If no dvifile is given, it reads from standard input. The setting for the printer is given by the fontdesc file.
This is a `bare bones' DVI-to-PostScript program. Minimal error checking is done.
Not all fonts are available in the resolution needed to display on the laser printer; when a missing font is encountered, dvi2ps will continue to process your DVI file, and will log a warning message. Gaps will appear in the document where the missing characters should have been.
It can take up to 60 seconds for the first page to be output. After a head of steam has been built up, it can roll along at 5-10 seconds per page.
This program supports use of the \special command in TeX to include special PostScript code for graphics, etc. Specifying \special{psfile=foo.ps} in the TeX source will result in the contents of file foo.ps (assumed to contain PostScript code) being copied into the output at that point. For most included graphics, the user's (0,0) point will be set to the point of the \special command with x and y coordinates increasing up and to the right and in units of PostScript points (72/inch) — thus you must explicitly leave space above the \special command for most graphics. For graphics produced by Apple Macintoshes (i.e., MacDraw, MacPaint, etc.), the top left corner of the drawing will be at the point of the \special command; in this case you must leave the required space below the \special.
The \special string can contain any number of the following keyword=value pairs, separated by blanks:
Thus:
\special{psfile=foo.ps hoffset=72 hscale=0.9 vscale=0.9}
will shift the graphics produced by file foo.ps right by 1", and
will draw it at 0.9 normal size.
hsize and vsize are given relative to the (0,0) point of the drawing and are unaffected by offsets and scales.
Offsets are given relative to the point of the \special command, and are unaffected by scales.
If Macintosh drawings are to be included, the proper LaserPrep file must be downloaded to the printer, either permanently or as another header file in addition to the standard tex.ps header file.
There is likely a limit to the size of documents that can be printed (at least, on the Apple LaserWriter). If you get VMerrors reported when printing, use the -f and -t options, to select a range of pages. The exact limit is unknown, but is probably well in excess of 50 pages for `normal' documents, decreasing with number of different fonts used, size of fonts, etc.
Mark Senn wrote the early versions of this program for the BBN BitGraph. Stephan Bechtolsheim, Bob Brown, Richard Furuta, James Schaad and Robert Wells improved it. Norm Hutchinson ported the program to the Sun. Neal Holtz ported it to the Apollo, and then to produce PostScript. Jean-Francois Lamy fixed the interface for PostScript illustrations.
(PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.)
4 September 2000 |