Now that there is Linux and NetBSD and BSD 386 UNIX IBM PC (and clone) users can run any of the X-windows and UNIX programs in the utilities section. See any of comp.os.linux.{admin,development,help,misc}. Also, there is now GhostScript for the Macintosh.
Many thanks to Dan Carrigan for reformatting the books and publishers section.
The utilities index from the comp.sources.postscript FAQ will be posted in comp.lang.postscript now too.
Please help fix the FAQ! All comments should be mailed to faq@postscript.org. My favorite way to receive a change suggestion is when it is accompanied by a section of the FAQ that is edited and mailed to me verbatim as an example. If you would like to contribute, please read the section ``about the FAQ'' first. Thank you!
Books and programs are referred to by name only. See the book sections for book information, and the comp.sources.postscript FAQ for a full list of all PostScript related programs. I have archived a number of the small utilities in ftp://ftp.postscript.org/. You can get the comp.sources.postscript FAQ from ftp://ftp.postscript.org/.
Related FAQs: comp.text, comp.text.tex, comp.fonts, comp.graphics, comp.sys.mac.apps, comp.sources.postscript. Really.
This FAQ has 11 sections. It is available at ftp://ftp.postscript.org/ in ASCII, and there are also LaTeX, DVI, and PostScript formats.
1 General Questions
1.1 What is PostScript?
1.2 How can I tell how many pages my document will have?
1.3 How can I print just one page or a few pages from a big
1.4 How can I print more than one page per sheet of paper?
1.5 How can I edit a PostScript picture?
1.6 How can I print PostScript on a non-PostScript printer?
1.7 How do I print a file containing 8-bit characters?
1.8 What other graphics languages are there?
2 Printers
2.1 How can I get my printer to talk back to me?
2.2 Should I leave my printer on?
2.3 How do you print double-sided on a single-sided printer?
2.4 How do I suppress the power-on start page?
2.5 How do I make a downloaded font ``persistent''?
2.6 How do I remove a persistent (``permanent'') downloaded font?
2.7 How do I reset the printer without power-cycling?
2.8 About saving files
2.9 What's the control-D business?
2.10 Why does the printer say ``still busy'' when my document is
2.11 How should I set up my spoolers?
2.12 What are PPD files?
2.13 What's a timeout error?
2.14 Can I tell if my printer is color or black/white?
3 Formats and Conversions
3.1 How can I convert PostScript to some other graphics format?
3.2 How can I convert PostScript to a bitmap or pixmap?
3.3 How can I convert HPGL to PostScript?
3.4 How can I convert DVI to PostScript?
3.5 How can I convert HP Laserjet language (PCL) to PostScript?
3.6 How can I convert TeX PK format font to PostScript?
3.7 How do I embed PostScript into troff?
3.8 How do I embed PostScript into LaTeX or TeX?
3.9 How can I convert an image to PostScript?
3.10 How can I convert ASCII text to PostScript?
3.11 How can I convert PostScript to ASCII?
3.12 How do I convert between PFB, PFA, Mac, PFM, and AFM?
4 Fonts
4.1 What are .PFB and .PFA files?
4.2 How does Macintosh Store PostScript Fonts?
4.3 How can I convert a PostScript font to TeX's PK format?
4.4 Why are Adobe fonts hidden?
4.5 How do I get bitmap representations of Adobe fonts?
4.6 What are some good ftp sites for fonts?
4.7 How can I re-encode a font?
4.8 What's the difference between a Type 1 and a Type 3 font?
4.9 What vendors sell fonts for PostScript printers?
4.10 What are ATM fonts?
4.11 What are Multiple Master Fonts?
4.12 Do I need a Level Two printer to use Multiple Master Fonts?
4.13 What are Type 4 fonts?
4.14 What are Type 5 fonts?
4.15 Is there an editor for Type 1 Fonts?
5 Books
5.1 Books
5.2 Publishers
6 About Adobe
6.1 How do I get in touch with Adobe?
6.2 What can Adobe do for me?
7 Programming in PostScript
7.1 What is PostScript level 2?
7.2 Should I learn level 2 PostScript?
7.3 Where can I find examples of PostScript code?
7.4 What is the physical size of the page?
7.5 What is the Imagable Area of the page
7.6 Why can't I do a pathforall after a charpath ?
7.7 How do I center a string of text around a point?
7.8 How can I concatenate two strings together?
7.9 What do I do when I get stack overflow/underflow?
7.10 How can I print in landscape mode?
8 Computer-specific PostScript
8.1 Sun Workstations
8.2 IBM PC
8.3 Apple Macintosh
9 Encapsulated PostScript
9.1 What is Encapsulated PostScript?
9.2 What are EPSI and EPSF?
9.3 How do I convert PostScript to EPS?
9.4 How do I get the bounding box of a PostScript picture?
10 About The Comp.Lang.PostScript FAQ
10.1 The PostScript FAQ: What is it?
10.2 How to get the FAQ files
10.3 How to write a FAQ answer
10.4 The FAQ can contain LaTeX and PostScript inserts
10.5 Revising the FAQ
10.6 How to submit new information
10.7 How to add a program description to the FAQ index
10.8 How to add a book description to the FAQ
10.9 Questions that need answers
11 About PostScript 2
11.1 What printers support Level 2 PostScript?
11.2 What is PostScript Level 2?
11.3 [ Color Extensions ]
11.4 [ Composite Font Extensions ]
11.5 [ Display PostScript Extensions ]
11.6 [ Overview of Level 2 Features ]
11.7 Filters
11.8 Binary Encoding
11.9 Optimized graphics operators
11.10 Optimized text operators
11.11 Forms
11.12 Patterns
11.13 Images
11.14 Composite Fonts
11.15 New Color Spaces
11.16 New screening/halftoning technology
11.17 Improved printer support features
11.18 Interpreter parameters
11.19 Resources
11.20 Dictionaries
11.21 When did Level 2 products come available?
11.22 Are Level 1 and Level 2 implementations compatible?