Converting from pdf to ps under Linux - different tools give different output
Graham Nicholls
seem to have reached the conclusion that the best method of conversion is
to use
acroread -toPostScript -shrink -size a4 [filename]
(BTW I _hate_ those capitalisations!)
If I use another tool, even having tried all sorts of command-line switches,
the page is too large to fit on the paper, and the left hand edge is lost.
Does anyone have any idea why? I don't want to use acroread, as it produces
larger files than the others, which for some reason, take upto 1 minute to
print. (the difference in size is not enough to explain this on its own),
whereas the other tools produce ps which prints in seconds.
I've tried acroread, pdftops (from xpdf), and pdf2ps (which is just a
wrapper for gs).
Thanks
Graham Nicholls
--
The answer's always "Yes". Now, what's the question?
Ross Presser
Did you try "-paper match" with pdftops?
Graham Nicholls
>> I've tried acroread, pdftops (from xpdf), and pdf2ps (which is just a
>> wrapper for gs).
>>
>> Thanks
>> Graham Nicholls
>
> Did you try "-paper match" with pdftops?
Yes, same thing - cropped on the left.
When viewed & then printed from xpdf, it looks fine, but of course it needs
to be printed from the command line.
Thanks, anyway
Graham
Michael Heiming
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In comp.os.linux.misc Graham Nicholls <gra...@rockcons.co.uk(spam_filtered)> suggested:
> I'm trying to print pdf files under Linux. After lots of fiddling around, I
> seem to have reached the conclusion that the best method of conversion is
> to use
[..]
> I've tried acroread, pdftops (from xpdf), and pdf2ps (which is just a
> wrapper for gs).
Interesting problem, something like this works for me:
pdftops -paper A4 file.pdf - | lpr -Psprx600_610
Good luck
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Michael Heiming (GPG-Key ID: 0xEDD27B94)
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Reimar Bauer
If you have a Postscript Level 3 printer you could sent the file by lpr
direct to the printer.
http://www.adobe.com/products/postscript/overview.html
shows
"Direct consumption of PDF files up to PDF 1.5
PostScript 3 devices can receive and print PDF files without printing
through an application, removing an unnecessary step and increasing job
productivity."
cheers
Reimar
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Forschungszentrum Juelich
email: R.B...@fz-juelich.de
http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg-i/
==================================================================
a IDL library at ForschungsZentrum Juelich
http://www.fz-juelich.de/icg/icg-i/idl_icglib/idl_lib_intro.html
Ralf Koenig
> spam_filtered wrote:
>
>
>>I'm trying to print pdf files under Linux. [...]
> If you have a Postscript Level 3 printer you could sent the file by lpr
> direct to the printer.
>
>
> http://www.adobe.com/products/postscript/overview.html
>
> shows
>
> "Direct consumption of PDF files up to PDF 1.5
> PostScript 3 devices can receive and print PDF files without printing
> through an application, removing an unnecessary step and increasing job
> productivity."
Reimar,
this still leaves quite some questions to be answered.
PDF files are designed to be portable, so how do you tell
device-dependent settings to the printer such as:
* which tray to use.
* simplex/duplex printing
* resolution to use
* black and white or full color on color printers
* n-up printing
* ...
While you can change the last two settings by modifying the PDF file,
sometimes you simply want to intruct the printer to take care of it.
All these things are standardized is Postscript with the use of
device-dependent operators such as setpagedevice. In addition there are
PPD's for Postscript. The postscript driver will take the capabilities
and instruct the printer by sending the device-dependent settings
*inside* the postscript data stream.
How can all this be combined with sending PDFs directly to printers
without sacrificing portability? What is the alternate channel to send
the device-dependant settings?
IPP (the internet printing potocol) might by a valid choice. But this at
least requires wrapping the PDF into the IPP, which at least requires a
client piece of software on the workstation and an IPP server on the
printer.
Marketing is one thing, reality is different. It may work in some way or
the other, but unless you have full control over the printing process,
it cannot replace a conversion to Postscript.
Ralf
--
Ralf Koenig
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der
Professur Rechnernetze und verteilte Systeme
TU Chemnitz, Zi. 1/B320, Tel. 0371-531-1532
Graham Nicholls
>
> If you have a Postscript Level 3 printer you could sent the file by lpr
> direct to the printer.
Thanks, tried to send directly to a HP 4300 - obviously not postscript 3!
Never mind.
Graham Nicholls
>
> Interesting problem, something like this works for me:
>
> pdftops -paper A4 file.pdf - | lpr -Psprx600_610
Produces a file which loses the left hand side on the printer.
Thanks
>
> Good luck
Michael Heiming
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In comp.os.linux.misc Graham Nicholls <gra...@rockcons.co.uk(spam_filtered)> suggested:
> Michael Heiming wrote:
>>
>> Interesting problem, something like this works for me:
>>
>> pdftops -paper A4 file.pdf - | lpr -Psprx600_610
> Produces a file which loses the left hand side on the printer.
Then fix your broken system, works for me like a charm, directly
printing the same .pdf produces the problems you mentioned.
--
Michael Heiming (GPG-Key ID: 0xEDD27B94)
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Reimar Bauer
all is true what you are telling.
I see it myself as an additional way to get an output directly from PDF.
Most of your statements belongs to individual printer configuration from
the client or user. Sometimes I prefer this too. But the other way I often
have to use is a configuration over the queueing name. This means if I send
a file to a *cf queue I always get a foil in color. Other queue names are
used for double sided and so on. It is not necessary for me to select a
paper tray or something else to get the foil. The most common needed
configurations are available as queue names. I have only to choose the
right one.
While this configuration in this way already is done it's fine for me to
send the pdf directly to the queue without a conversion to ps.
I could do this in batch and don't need a gui tool. (By the way did you know
a non gui tool to select trays or color modes?)
This is the situation I have here and direct pdf printing goes well.
It is a feature we could use we mustn't do it at all.
best regards
Reimar
Ralf Koenig wrote:
--
Graham Nicholls
>>>
>>> Interesting problem, something like this works for me:
>>>
>>> pdftops -paper A4 file.pdf - | lpr -Psprx600_610
>
>> Produces a file which loses the left hand side on the printer.
>
> Then fix your broken system, works for me like a charm, directly
> printing the same .pdf produces the problems you mentioned.
>
Well, that was helpful. You suggest doing something pretty simple which
I've already tried (as alluded to in OP), and found doesn't work. When I
say it doesn't work you say fix it!
What is the difference between "directly printing" and lpr
-P[printer_name] ?
You don't mention what spooler you're using (cups, lpr, lprNG, etc), or what
sort of printer, or anything, really. What special filtering did you do in
the interface file, if any.
I'm staggered.
Graham
Michael Heiming
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In comp.os.linux.misc Graham Nicholls <gra...@rockcons.co.uk(spam_filtered)> suggested:
> Michael Heiming wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Interesting problem, something like this works for me:
>>>>
>>>> pdftops -paper A4 file.pdf - | lpr -Psprx600_610
>>
>>> Produces a file which loses the left hand side on the printer.
>>
>> Then fix your broken system, works for me like a charm, directly
>> printing the same .pdf produces the problems you mentioned.
>>
> Well, that was helpful. You suggest doing something pretty simple which
> I've already tried (as alluded to in OP), and found doesn't work. When I
> say it doesn't work you say fix it!
You didn't mention how you tried, just that you tried a few progs
nor do you mention which spooler you are using, how do you expect
us to help you, with nearly zero information?
Reproduced your problem, only to perhaps help you and I had the
same trouble, the above mentioned:
pdftops -paper A4 file.pdf - | lpr -Psprx600_610
Works for me, perhaps you have another paper size or what else, I
don't care, don't feel like having to listen to your insulting,
you have the problem, my printer works.
--
Michael Heiming (GPG-Key ID: 0xEDD27B94)
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Ralf Koenig
> Reimar Bauer wrote:
>
>
>
>>If you have a Postscript Level 3 printer you could sent the file by lpr
>>direct to the printer.
>
> Thanks, tried to send directly to a HP 4300 - obviously not postscript 3!
> Never mind.
It *is* a PS level 3 printer, but maybe HP did not license the 'pdf to
ps' conversion software from Adobe. These two are licensed separately.
Or maybe, the printer or your workstation is not set up correctly
regarding direct pdf printing.
Ken Sharp
ralf....@informatik.tu-chemnitz.de says...
> > Thanks, tried to send directly to a HP 4300 - obviously not postscript 3!
> > Never mind.
>
> It *is* a PS level 3 printer, but maybe HP did not license the 'pdf to
> ps' conversion software from Adobe.
There's also a terminology problem, the 'PostScript Language Level 3'
specification is open. However the 'PostScript 3 System' is a trademark
of Adobe Systems, and (optionally, at cost) includes a number of extras,
one of which is direct PDF printing. The printer may be a language level
3 printer without being a PostScript 3 system.
Is this confusion deliberate on the part of Adobe ? You might think so,
I couldn't possibly comment....
> These two are licensed separately.
> Or maybe, the printer or your workstation is not set up correctly
> regarding direct pdf printing.
Possibly the printer doesn't have the resources to handle PDF files, it
really requires a hard disk and not all printers have one, which might
be why HP didn't licence the technology. Assuming it *is* an Adobe
interpreter in there, if its not then that may also be why it can't
handle it.
Ken
Ralf Koenig
> In article <ch6mb1$v8s$1...@anderson.hrz.tu-chemnitz.de>,
> ralf....@informatik.tu-chemnitz.de says...
>
>
>>>Thanks, tried to send directly to a HP 4300 - obviously not postscript 3!
>>>Never mind.
>>
>>It *is* a PS level 3 printer, but maybe HP did not license the 'pdf to
>>ps' conversion software from Adobe.
>
>
> There's also a terminology problem, the 'PostScript Language Level 3'
> specification is open. However the 'PostScript 3 System' is a trademark
> of Adobe Systems, and (optionally, at cost) includes a number of extras,
> one of which is direct PDF printing.
Ken, thanks for your clarification. Looks like we have to get used to
new vocabulary here.
> The printer may be a language level
> 3 printer without being a PostScript 3 system.
I think so, too.
> Is this confusion deliberate on the part of Adobe ? You might think so,
> I couldn't possibly comment....
This *is* confusing at first. Let's see if buyers get it ...
>>These two are licensed separately.
>>Or maybe, the printer or your workstation is not set up correctly
>>regarding direct pdf printing.
>
>
> Possibly the printer doesn't have the resources to handle PDF files, it
> really requires a hard disk and not all printers have one, which might
> be why HP didn't licence the technology. Assuming it *is* an Adobe
> interpreter in there, if its not then that may also be why it can't
> handle it.
There is a nice manual to a Oberon (third party ?) pdf to ps converter
(preloaded DIMM) you can install into HP printers:
http://www.stethos.com/pdf/data/PDFManual_eng.pdf
They state, that instead of a physical hard disk, a ram disk (in the
printer's RAM) also suffices. Looks like they support many newer HP
printers.
They also answer my question, how to set the device dependent settings:
Either
* use a Web front end (HTTP server is built into the printer) to set
these parameters before sending your print job or
* using the printer's front control panel
* using different lpr queues (at least for duplex/non-duplex) [as
mentioned by Reimar]
FMPOV, the first two are not user-based, so you have to hurry to get the
settings right, and then send the job immediately. This is not, what I
would call "done right" for the high-volume printers, already loaded
with jobs. How do you tell the printer, to use the settings only with
*my* next job?
The same is true for option 2. Everyone walking to the printer to check
and set some settings is not an option at all.
Looks like, option 3 is the most realistic. But this at least requires
using LPR. So, people really can send the PDF file directly without any
particular software, except they need LPR set up and running, when they
want to set device dependent settings. Looks like we're starting to make
compromises ...