• Using Postscript on the Sun System:

  Here is a sample postscipt file, stored using the filename abc0.ps:

  
  %!PS-Adobe-2.0
  /Times-Bold findfont 200 scalefont setfont
  100 300 moveto (ABC) show
  showpage
  

  You can create Postscipt files just using any editor. The names of such files should always end with ".ps". If such files are directly sent to a Postscipt printer, the printer will follow the Postscript page description commands, rather than print it as a text file. The printer uses the first line to decide that this is a Postscript file. Otherwise you do not need this first line. You can also convert the file to .pdf format as illustrated below. This conversion produces error messages that can be very helpful in debugging. Finally, you can put a link to either the Postscipt file or the PDF file and open it through many browsers.

  
  % vi abc0.ps                -- create the file using some editor
  % ps2pdf abc0.ps abc0.pdf   -- convert to PDF, produce error messages
  % lp -d tub abc0.ps         -- print on a Postscript printer
  

  Open a link to this file as: .ps, or as .pdf

• Postscript references (recommended sources are in red:
  • Postscript ``Blue'' book (by far the best introductory tutorial)
    Local copy (PDF, 847k)    Remote copy (PDF, 847k)   
    
  • Programs from the Blue book Bluebook programs
    
  • Postscript ``Green'' Book (help for serious Postscript programmers)
    Local copy (PDF, 934K)   Remote copy (PDF, 934K)
    
  • Postscript Language Reference Manual (the best reference)
    Local copy (PDF, 7.9 meg)   Remote copy (PDF, 7.9 meg)
    
  • First Guide to Postscript (a simple introduction) First Guide
    
  • Thinking in Postscript (another tutorial)
    Local copy (PDF, 847k)   Remote copy (PDF, 847k)
    
  • Postscript for Mathematicians Book
    
  • Postscript Sources and Links Sources and Links
    
• PDF references:
  • PDF Reference Manual (local copy (PDF, 5 Meg)
  • Other PDF references From Adobe

Basic Topics (from the Blue Book):

1. Three types of graphics objects:
   1. Text: characters in many fonts, positioned and oriented in any way.
   2. Geometric figures: Drawn using powerful 2-dimensional graphics operators, using lines, curves, filled regions, color.
   3. Images: anything that can be digitized.
   (See Blue Book, pages 1-2.)
2. The imaging model:
   1. Current page: can place anything anywhere, overwriting old stuff
   2. Current path: a set of connected lines and curves making a path, often closed.
   3. Current clipping path: a closed path within which all drawing occurs.
   (See Blue Book, pages 2-3.)
3. Initial graphics: (See Blue Book, pages 3-4.)
4. The Stack: used for all computations and operators. Postfix notation. (See Blue Book, page 4, 7-15.)
5. Coordinate systems: x (horizontal) and y (vertical) coordinates, with (0, 0) in the lower left corner. Units are Postscipt points, where 1 point = 1/72 inch (in actual publishing, 1 point = 1/72.27 inch.) (See Blue Book, Chapter 3, pages 17-25.)
6. Variables and procedures: (It's getting harder now.) (See Blue Book, Chapter 4, pages 27-33.)
7. Text: (See Blue Book, Chapter 5, pages 35-46.)
8. More graphics: (See Blue Book, Chapter 6, pages 47-60.)
9. Conditionals and for loops: (See Blue Book, Section 7.1 and first page of 7.2, pages 61-68.)
10. Outline fonts: (See Blue Book, Section 9.4, pages 97-99.)
11. Clipping: (See Blue Book, Section 10.1, pages 101-104.)

Example of overlapping boxes:

This example is from the Blue Book, pages 23, 30, 31: three different Postscript programs produce exactly the same three overlapping boxes. Here are all three listings presented side-by-side: .html.
• First version: .html, .ps, .pdf.
• Second version: .html, .ps, .pdf.
• Third version: .html, .ps, .pdf.

Consider the following Postscript code that lays out coordinate axes and numbers the four quadrants (1, 2, 3, 4). The function that does this leaves the origin at (0, 0). In order to show the figure, the code below translates the origin to (200, 200). This code also puts a standard border around the page. The following examples will only supply new code for the last few lines (shown in red below).

%!PS-Adobe-2.0
/width 25 def
/outline { % print standard border on page
   /Times-Bold findfont 15 scalefont setfont
   newpath width width moveto
   0 792 width 2 mul sub rlineto
   612 width 2 mul sub 0 rlineto
   0 -792 width 2 mul add rlineto
   closepath stroke
   275 width 5 add moveto (Bottom of Page) show
   275 792 width sub 15 sub moveto (Top of Page) show
} def

/coord {
   /Times-Bold findfont 50 scalefont setfont
   20 20 moveto (1) show
   -50 20 moveto (2) show
   -50 -50 moveto (3) show
   20 -50 moveto (4) show
   3 setlinewidth
   newpath 0 60 moveto 0 -60 lineto stroke
   newpath 60 0 moveto -60 0 lineto stroke
} def
outline
%%%%%%% only change what comes after this comment %%%%%%
200 200 translate
coord
   
showpage

The result of this Postscript is: .ps, or as .pdf

Now keeping the same functions outline and coords, try some different instructions at the end and see what happens. In each case try to guess what the result will be first and then see what the result is. (I am leaving off the definition of the function and leaving off the final showpage.)

Postscript Program	Result
200 200 translate rotate 90 coord	.ps, or as .pdf
rotate 90 200 200 translate coord	.ps, or as .pdf
90 rotate 200 -200 translate -90 rotate coord	.ps, or as .pdf
200 200 translate 90 rotate 2 2 scale coord	.ps, or as .pdf
2 2 scale 200 200 translate 90 rotate coord	.ps, or as .pdf
1 1 30 { pop % throw away loop variable 300 150 translate 45 rotate coord 0.75 0.75 scale } for % just loops 30 times	.ps, or as .pdf

Here is a second example Postscript file, much more complicated than the first, stored using the filename abc3.ps:

%!PS-Adobe-2.0
/path {            % path is the outline of the chars ABC
   /Times-Bold findfont 200 scalefont setfont
   newpath 0 0 moveto (ABC) false charpath
} def
  
/oneline {         % draw one line from the origin
   0 0 moveto 450 0 lineto stroke
} def

/lines {           % draw 180 lines at 1 degree rotations
   180 {1 rotate oneline} repeat 
} def

100 300 translate  % up to middle of page
3 setlinewidth     % thick lines
path stroke        % outline the characters
1 setlinewidth     % thin lines
path clip          % clip to inside of charactes
180 0 translate    % to middle of string
lines              % draw the lines inside the string
showpage           % actually render the page

Open a link to this file as: .ps, or as .pdf

• "Graphic Perspective" Letterhead Stationary 1: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• "Graphic Perspective" Letterhead Stationary 2: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• "Graphic Perspective" Letterhead Stationary 2: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• "UTSA" done with a sheen: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• Dodecahedron Desk Calendar:
      Year 2000: text, .pdf, .ps
      Year 2001: text, .pdf, .ps
      Year 2002: text, .pdf, .ps
      Year 2003: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• My own UTSA letterhead stationary: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• Another of my UTSA letterhead stationaries: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• "Official" UTSA letterhead stationary: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• Two circles of UTSAs: .pdf, .ps
  
• Conference announcement (Borderline):
      Outer Page: text, .pdf, .ps
      Inner Page: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• Poster (presented for its Postscript, not content): text, .pdf, .ps
      Same on four pages for cutout and assembly: text, .pdf, .ps
  
• One-time pad decoder game (in lecture to high school students):
      Inner circle: text, .pdf, .ps
      Outer circle: text, .pdf, .ps