PostScript - PageMaker PS-Driver

Author

PageMaker PS-Driver

hoffmann@fho-emden.de

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

Recently it was discussed whether PageMaker has
its own PS-driver.
If PM used an internal driver then an external
wouldn't be necessary. Especially, the PS file
wouldn=B4t depend on the external driver.

But tests by someone else showed: If no external
driver is installed then Export to PDF doesn=B4t
work.

The final question: would installing the latest
Adobe PS-driver change or improve anything ?

Thanks for a clarification.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

Aandi Inston

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

hoffmann@fho-emden.de wrote:

>Recently it was discussed whether PageMaker has
>its own PS-driver.

It depends what you mean. PageMaker contains a PostScript generator,
but it is not a driver in the sense of a Windows printer driver.

>If PM used an internal driver then an external
>wouldn't be necessary. Especially, the PS file
>wouldn=B4t depend on the external driver.

Both are wrong.

PageMaker uses a Windows PostScript driver as the conduit to generate
PostScript. It then generates almost all of the PostScript itself,
bypassing the driver. However, the driver does generate SOME of the
code, and may be used for special services (e.g. converting WMF to
PostScript). And the framing code may vary by driver instance (i.e.
the PPD used by the driver, independently of the PPD used by
PageMaker).
>
>But tests by someone else showed: If no external
>driver is installed then Export to PDF doesn=B4t
>work.

Yes.
>
>The final question: would installing the latest
>Adobe PS-driver change or improve anything ?

There is no such thing, really. There is no Adobe PS driver for
Windows 2000 or XP, it is only an installer that puts in the standard
(Microsoft) driver. It does install a driver for Windows 98, but that
isn't in any real sense "latest".
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hoffmann@fho-emden.de

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

Aandi,

thanks for the explanations.

What exactly are these installers and why should they be
updated ? (the link points to Adobe)
http://tinyurl.com/e1r

Transfer Functions by PPDs were handled correctly by PM,
but by using the latest 'PS driver installer' it didn=B4t
work as expected.
How are the tasks distributed between the Windows driver
and PM ?

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

Aandi Inston

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

hoffmann@fho-emden.de wrote:

>What exactly are these installers...
>http://tinyurl.com/e1r

On modern Windows systems they simply provide a convenient way to
install an instance of the Windows PostScript driver with a PPD,
rather than the much more complex method you would have to do
otherwise (involving editing INF files).

There is no advantage if your PPD file is already attached to a driver
provided as part of Windows, as for most common desktop PostScript
printers.

I often see the advice "if you need a PostScript driver just download
this installer from Adobe".

There is so much wrong with this advice
1. The advice almost never focuses on a specific PPD, so people
install the "Generic" PPD that comes with it. This is unsuitable for a
great many tasks.
2. It shows an ignorance at the most basic level of how to use the
printer drivers that come with Windows.

>Transfer Functions by PPDs were handled correctly by PM,
>but by using the latest 'PS driver installer' it didn=B4t
>work as expected.

If this is in a modern Windows system- perhaps the instance that was
installed used a different PPD, and hence included different behaviour
in that part of the PostScript *not* generated by PageMaker.
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hoffmann@fho-emden.de

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

Aandi,

thanks again.

Where can we find a complete description, how PS drivers are
embedded in a Windows system ?

Why do we have drivers by manufacturers if the Windows driver plus
the specific PPD are sufficient ?

An essential difference between PM and other programs like InDesign:

In PM we can choose any PPD in the PPD folder. This is helpful for
experiments - a printer style can refer to ANY suitable PPD.
In InDesign we have just one PPD for an installed printer, and the PPD
is hidden in the depths of Win/System.

WITHOUT updating the Adobe PS driver (installer), new options in the
PPD were not accessible (like the Transfer Functions). WITH updating
by the latest driver all features are shown in the PS printer settings.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

Aandi Inston

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

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hoffmann@fho-emden.de wrote:

>Where can we find a complete description, how PS drivers are
>embedded in a Windows system ?

The Windows DDK (Devive Developers Kit) tells you how to write one.
>
>Why do we have drivers by manufacturers if the Windows driver plus
>the specific PPD are sufficient ?

Some manufacturers do seem to have created custom drivers. You can
tell this if it looks radically different, and by checking the test
sheets. This is a very expensive business, but people like Xerox can
afford it.

Most driver "downloads" for PostScript printers are just an INF file
which references the standard driver and a PPD.
>
>An essential difference between PM and other programs like InDesign:
>
>In PM we can choose any PPD in the PPD folder. This is helpful for
>experiments - a printer style can refer to ANY suitable PPD.
>In InDesign we have just one PPD for an installed printer, and the PPD
>is hidden in the depths of Win/System.

InDesign is smart enough to be able to find that out. PageMaker was
written before it was possible, and never updated (because it would
break too many things, I suspect).
>
>WITHOUT updating the Adobe PS driver (installer), new options in the
>PPD were not accessible (like the Transfer Functions). WITH updating
>by the latest driver all features are shown in the PS printer settings.

What version of Windows?
What PPD was in effect before installing AdobePS?
What PPD did you select to install it? Not that rotten "generic"
one...?

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Aandi Inston

2005-02-09, 3:59 pm

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hoffmann@fho-emden.de wrote:

>Where can we find a complete description, how PS drivers are
>embedded in a Windows system ?

By the way, what specific versions of Windows? You don't seem to have
posted that info.
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Rev. Dr. Philip Griffin-Allwood

2005-02-09, 8:59 pm

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

The XP PS driver is an updated Adobe one (AdobePS.drv) which is why
PPDs install automatically. INF files are for the Microsoft one
(Pscript.drv) which as far as I can figure out from reading the Adobe
page has been discontinued. The driver and PPDs for various printers
is available from the Adobe site.

Do a search on the Adobe site for Postscript and you will lots of
answers.

Phil

===========================

(Rev.) Philip Griffin-Allwood, Ph.D.
Supply Minister,
St. Andrew's United Church,
Halifax, N.S.
drphil@eastlink.ca
http://users.eastlink.ca/~standrewsunited

Aandi Inston

2005-02-09, 8:59 pm

"Rev. Dr. Philip Griffin-Allwood" <drphil@eastlink.ca> wrote:

>The XP PS driver is an updated Adobe one (AdobePS.drv) which is why
>PPDs install automatically.

This contradicts what I have been told by sources inside Adobe. There
is only, in Windows XP, the one and only PSCRIPT5.DRV. Have you
checked the driver names with a test page?

PPDs don't install automatically, they install because Adobe wrote an
installer that did it. The XP driver is quite capable of reading PPD
files, they are just hard to set up for the driver.

> INF files are for the Microsoft one
>(Pscript.drv) which as far as I can figure out from reading the Adobe
>page has been discontinued.

How would Adobe discontinue a Microsoft driver? This is the driver
that came with Windows 9x, so I suppose if Windows 9x is discontinued,
so is the driver.
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Rev. Dr. Philip Griffin-Allwood

2005-02-09, 8:59 pm

** Reply to message from quite@dial.pipex.con (Aandi Inston) on Wed, 09
Feb 2005 22:07:14 GMT

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

I am relying on the information from Adobe Web site related to their PS
driver installer for XP winsteng.exe.

> This contradicts what I have been told by sources inside Adobe. There
> is only, in Windows XP, the one and only PSCRIPT5.DRV. Have you
> checked the driver names with a test page?

Just now. You are right about the name and copyright, but the driver
is installed as AdobePSGenericPrinterDriver.

> How would Adobe discontinue a Microsoft driver? This is the driver
> that came with Windows 9x, so I suppose if Windows 9x is discontinued,
> so is the driver.

I would have to do a search to confirm this, but if I remember
correctly Adobe and Microsoft agreed to joint driver development when
OpenType came into use.

Phil

===========================

(Rev.) Philip Griffin-Allwood, Ph.D.
Supply Minister,
St. Andrew's United Church,
Halifax, N.S.
drphil@eastlink.ca
http://users.eastlink.ca/~standrewsunited

Aandi Inston

2005-02-09, 8:59 pm

"Rev. Dr. Philip Griffin-Allwood" <drphil@eastlink.ca> wrote:

>
>Just now. You are right about the name and copyright, but the driver
>is installed as AdobePSGenericPrinterDriver.

Only if you don't choose a PPD, I think. The generic PPD should almost
never be used.

Still, I should like to hear from someone on Windows XP who installed
the PostScript driver from Windows (Add Printer), and printed a test
page, with versions; then installed the so-called Adobe PS driver, and
compared the versions. I can no longer do this (too late).
>
>
>I would have to do a search to confirm this, but if I remember
>correctly Adobe and Microsoft agreed to joint driver development when
>OpenType came into use.

Adobe (and Aldus before them) have been involved with Microsoft on the
driver technology, but the current driver is the *responsibility* of
Microsoft, whoever contributed to the code.
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hoffmann@fho-emden.de

2005-02-10, 3:59 am

Aandi and Philip,

thanks for the explanations.
I'm using some PCs with Win98 and some with WinXP.

Actually I dont't have problems installing printers
or Distiller.
Of course I don=B4t use non-specific PPDs like CGeneral,
with the exception of tests.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

hoffmann@fho-emden.de

2005-02-15, 9:00 pm

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