CAP/contrib/MacPS

COPYRIGHT NOTICE (SCCSid = "@(#)ReadMe	2.2 10/24/89")

Copyright (c) 1988, The Regents of the University of California.
Edward Moy, Workstation Software Support Group, Workstation Support
Serices, Information Systems and Technology.

Permission is granted to any individual or institution to use, copy, or
redistribute this software so long as it is not sold for profit,
provided that this notice and the original copyright notices are
retained.  The University of California makes no representations about
the suitability of this software for any purpose.  It is provided "as
is" without express or implied warranty.

WHAT IS MACPS?

Macps is a Unix program that takes an uploaded PostScript file created
on a Macintosh (by typing Command-F at the LaserWriter dialog box; see
macps.1 for more details) and includes an appropriately modified
LaserPrep file so that the result can be sent to a PostScript printer
>From Unix.  The LaserPrep file contains macros used by the PostScript
generator on the Macintosh.

WHY IS MACPS NEEDED?

This is how Mac printing works.  When a Mac talks to a LaserWriter, it
asks if the LaserWriter has had a LaserPrep file downloaded to it.  A
LaserWriter that is first powered up, has no such LaserPrep file, and
so the Mac downloads it and makes the LaserPrep file resident in
memory.  Then the actual print file is sent to the LaserWriter.
Subsequent print requests need not download the LaserPrep file, unless
it is a different version.

Since a LaserWriter connected to a Unix system usually does things
other than Mac printing, it is unwise to make LaserPrep files resident
in memory so that other PostScript jobs have less memory to work with.
What prepfix does is to modify a LaserPrep file so that, among other
things, it does not make itself resident in memory.  Thus, the
LaserPrep file must be downloaded for each Mac print job.  This is the
function of macps, to automatically append the appropriate LaserPrep
file.

WHICH VERSION OF THE LASERPREP WILL BE USED?

Macps interprets the %%IncludeProcSet directive found in the PostScript
generated by LaserWriter driver 4.0 and greater.  It takes the ProcSet
id and looks it up in a file "macps.config", to get the pathname of the
prep file, and thus macps can convert PostScript generated by different
versions of the LaserWriter driver.

HOW ARE THE LASERPREP FILES GENERATED?

Since the Apple LaserPrep files are copyrighted, I've included a
program, prepfix, that reads version 4.0 and up LaserPrep files, and
edits them so that they are compatible with Unix, and are even
electronically mailable (See prepfix.1 for more details).

WHERE IS THE MACPS.CONFIG FILE LOCATED?

Macps has some special code that is able to figure out from which
directory it was called from.  It will then look in a "lib" subdiretory
for the macps.config file.

WHAT ABOUT BIT-SMOOTHING ON NON-LASERWRITER PRINTERS?

For PostScript printers using Motorola 680x0 processors and Adobe
PostScript firmware other than LaserWriters, there is an option that
will allow these printers to do bit-smoothing, just like LaserWriters.

CHANGES IN VERSION 2.2

Version 2.2 of prepfix now supports LaserPrep 6.0.  The PostScript
save/restore context is now a compile-time option, since it caused
printing to fail on a NeXT printer (though it was harmless on most
other printers).  This save/restore is now more intelligent about
clearing the stacks.

CHANGES IN VERSION 2.1

Version 2.1 of prepfix uses a safer method for turning on bit-smoothing
for non-Apple printers.  This should get around some of the problems
people have been having with specialized macros in the LaserPreps that
are Apple printer specific.  The -l and -p options in version 1.1 have
been replaced with the single -l option, and the limit on the number
of printers you can specify has been removed.

Also, prepfix removes some other various macros that cause
unpredictable problems, and a problem with Apple LaserWriter II/NTs
(but not other Apple printers).

Version 2.1 macps has several new options.  The -c option allow you to
specify the number of copies to generate (overriding any multiple copy
option that was specified on the Macintosh).  The -d option allows an
alternate directory to look for the macps.config file.  Finally, the -r
(raw) option suppresses the conversion of 8-bit binary into ASCII, and
is useful for some graphics programs that manipulate gray-scale images,
and produce 8-bit binary PostScript output.

Macps will even work with a NeXT laser printer, but (at least the 0.8
version of the operating system) will not do bit smoothing.  Beware,
though, that if you print Macintosh patterns at 400 dpi, they will
look funny.