From ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk  Fri Jun  1 07:27:39 2001
From: ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk (Prof Brian D Ripley)
Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 07:27:39 +0100 (BST)
Subject: [Rd] paper size in postscript driver
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.04.10105311519530.2312-100000@xyzzy.dsl.speakeasy.net>
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.31.0106010715230.22278-100000@auk.stats>

On Thu, 31 May 2001, Trent Piepho wrote:

> On Thu, 31 May 2001, Prof Brian D Ripley wrote:
> > > like some kind of setpagedevice call is needed to tell the printer what paper
> > > size to use.
> >
> > Let's not get confused here.  What you are asking for is the job of your
> > print spooling software.  Proper postscript should have a DSC comment
> > specifying the paper size, and R's does:
>
> Then why do both staroffice and the gimp write postscript that uses the proper
> paper size?

(See below.)

> > If you use the paper size by "special" this is set, and it is the job of
> > your spooler to make use of it.  Looks like yours is deficient
> > (and that's not unlikely if you are not using a proper spooler).  *But*
> > we can't fix this in R without breaking it for those who do run
> > proper print management software.
>
> Why does it need to break anything?  Both staroffice and gimp produce
> postscript that prints on the proper paper size.  Do they not work with
> "proper" spooling software?  What is the "proper" spooling software for Linux?

The code you suggested adding is level-2 PostScript and does not work on
my office printer, for example.  So, yes, it would break things.  This is
why such code is the preserve of a Document Manager in the print spooling
system in Adobe's model.

R follows the recommendations of the PostScript Language Reference Manual
(Appendix G, to be precise).  Looks like StarOffice and GIMP *on your Linux
installation* do not.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley@stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272860 (secr)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595

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[Rd] paper size in postscript driver
Prof Brian D Ripley