ePDF - PostScript to PDF converter

quePDF is a queue processor that manages the pipe between an application and ePDF, replacement for original 'Printmon PS' with special features for Maul DTP users.

ePDF version 1.0 ePDF is a REXX-based tool for PostScript-to-PDF conversion which uses GhostScript as its back-end. With ePDF you are able to create PDF files with user definable document information. REQUIREMENTS: OS/2 or eComStation with Rexx installed Installed GhostScript with latest EMX INSTALLATION: Just unzip the archive to a directory on harddrive. Run install.cmd from a commandline to create objects on your desktop. If not already present, you'll have to manually add the GS_LIB environment variable to your config.sys in order to let ePDF call GhostScript functions. The GS_LIB statement must contain the paths to your active GhostScript \lib directory and the path to your os/2 fonts: e.g. SET GS_LIB=D:\gstools\gs7.04\lib;C:\PSFONTS; Alternatively, you may add the paths to the GhostScript parameter field in the program's properties dialog, e.g. " -q -dNOPAUSE -ID:\gstools\gs7.04\lib;C:\PSFONTS -dBATCH -dPDFSETTINGS=/default -dCompatibilityLevel=1.2 -sDEVICE#pdfwrite -sOutputFile#"||pdffile psfile Please note that the above settting will override the GS_LIB statement in your config.sys [see above] which allows you to use a different GhostScript version for ePDF than the one used by GhostView or other software. Also, in order for GhostScript to work correctly with ePDF, you'll have to take care of the proper FONTMAPPING which involves renaming the file 'Fontmap.OS2' to 'Fontmap' (without quotes) in the \lib directory of your GhostScript installation. For further details, please refer to the GS documentation. SETUP: After the first start please open the properties notebook and go through all pages. >>> Page 1: Enter full path including the drive to gsos2.exe, e.g. D:\gstools\gs7.04\bin\gsos2.exe Select the program's execution parameters using the radio buttons. This selection displays a string that will be interpreted by GhostScript. For most cases the DEFAULT string will be a good choice. The first 4 strings are predefined and equivalent to the Adobe Acrobat Distiller or GhostScript settings: DEFAULT selects output intended to be useful across a wide variety of uses, possibly at the expense of a larger output file. PRINTER selects output similar to the Acrobat Distiller "Print Optimized" setting. SCREEN selects low-resolution output similar to the Acrobat Distiller "Screen Optimized" setting. PREPRESS selects output similar to Acrobat Distiller "Prepress Optimized" setting. In addition, you may also add two definitions of your own (USER1 and USER2). Please note that fixed strings must be quoted, variables posted without quotes. For a detailed explanation of the settings above and additional parameters, please refer to the file PS2PDF.htm in your GhostScript documentation or to the "Adobe Technical Note #5151" at http://partners.adobe.com/asn/developer/acrosdk/DOCS/distparm.pdf Once set in the properties notebook, you may re-select the execution parameters from the main menu for each conversion process. >>> Page 2: Enter any default values for the PDF doc infos. You may also leave them blank. The defaults will read and applied to the main window after the program has been launched. They may be overridden for each conversion process, >>> Page 3: The PostScript file needs to be modified to include the PDF INFO data prior to conversion. If you don't want this to happen, check "don't modify the postscript file". ePDF will then copy all data to a temporary file which is being deleted thereafter. This will slow down the process somewhat, and you will need sufficient free space on your hard disk. If you don't need the PostScript file after successful conversion to PDF, you may chose to automatically delete it. Use this option only if you have NO problems with converting a file (or you may easily recreate it). If you want to use "PrintMon PS" is is a good idea to check "delete PostScript file after conversion", otherwise the additional temporary PS files (created by using PrintMon) will not deleted. In case you do not select either option, your original PostScript file will remain on your disk, yet modified with the PDF INFO you've added. To hear a short beep after program completion, please check this option. Finally, you may enable STDIO to assist your reporting any bugs. This options enables the output of any (error) messages to a rexx console. If required, please copy the contents and send the output to us if you need to report a bug in ePDF. PRINTMON: ONLY if you intend to use "PrintMon PS" (the printer queue redirection to ePDF) you have to specify a printer port to be monitored. Open the settings dialog of the "PrintMon PS" Object in the ePDF folder and enter a port name in the parameter field (e.g. lpt3). This must be a port which has NO printer attached! Thereafter open the settings dialog of your postscript driver, select the "output ports" page and chose the corresponding port. Do NOT select 'output to a file' when using "PrintMon PS" since there is no PostScript file being generated. Feel free to add a reference of "PrintMon PS" to your StartUp folder; otherwise you will have to restart PrintMon PS every time you want to use ePDF. USE: First you must create a PostScript file by redirecting your printer output to a file (NOT required when using "PrintMon PS", see below). We recommend installation of the "HP Designjet 750C/PS" (from the plotters package) driver from IBM. With this driver you can create coloured postscript files with large pages. Another good choice is the driver for the "Apple Laserwriter 16/600PS" (from the postscript package). Please remember that (i) you do not need the PS printer itself to successfully use the appropriate PostScript printer driver and (ii) that depending on your problem, different printer drivers may produce greatly differing results. Once generated by e.g. your word processor/printer driver, you may select a PostScript file for conversion from the FILE menu. It is also possible to start ePDF from commandline with the PS-filename as parameter, or drag & drop PostScript files onto the ePDF program object. Drag & drop of PS-files to the open ePDF main window is also possible by dropping the files to the window's background. ePDF will automatically assign a PDF filename in the same path and display the resulting filename & path a editable field, in case you chose to use a different name. A right mouse button click on the PDF file entry field opens the parent folder of the selected/displayed pdf file. If you have "PrintMon PS" running, ePDF will start up automatically once you print a file from your application to the specified port (i.e. the one that is monitored by 'PrintMon PS'). Enter a PDF file name with full path and drive in the main window of ePDF. Please remember that when using "PrintMon PS" you do not create a 'permanent' PostScript file. Also be sure that you only print with a postscript printer driver to this port! Make a choice from "PDF settings" menu to use the appropriate Distiller parameters for your data. Finally fill in and /or replace the PDF DOC info field entries and hit 'Ok' to start the conversion. Leave the 'title' field blank if you want to use the filename of the source document as the title. ATTENTION: The PostScript file will appended/edited by ePDF but should never be damaged. However, in case you experience troubles with a conversion, please use the "don't modify ps file" check box on last page of the properties dialog. AVAILABILITY: The latest version of ePDF may be found at http://www.subsys.de Please send comments, suggestions or bug reports to mail@subsys.de using "ePDF" in the subject line of your email. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to (alphabetical order): Jaime A. Cruz, Jr. for the ingenious "Poor man's Distiller", that brings the idea to use PrintMon for printer redirection. all the beta testers, especially Philip Griffin-Allwood, Martin R. Hadam and Rudolf Hoeger for heavy betatesting and suggestions. Kai Uwe Rommel for the great PrintMon tool. HISTORY: version 1.0 - minor bugs fixed - changed program name from "PS2PDF" to "ePDF" to avoid confusion due to the a GhostScript routine of the same name. - new eCs-like about dialog version 0.7-0.9 - lot of bugs fixed on ePDF.exe, Print2PS.cmd, PSDump.cmd - drag and drop of PS files to program window enabled - management for different PDF setups added - right mouse button on the PDF file entry field opens the parent folder of the selected/displayed pdf file version 0.6 - Printer device redirection of PostScript data to PS2PDF (now called ePDF) (using PrintMon by Kai Uwe Rommel) version 0.5 - fixed PDFDocEncoding version 0.4 - set CreationDate to PDF file - fixed PDFDocEncoding - fixed install.cmd - 'enable STDIO' and 'dont modify ps file' check boxes at options page in properties version 0.3 - PDFDocEncoding (for umlauts and special chars) The routine was written for a translation from codepage 850 to PDFDocEncoding, but it should work for most chars from CP 437. - 'beep' enable / disable checkbox at options page in properties - some bugs fixed - install script Frank Wochatz Berlin, 30 November 2002