Dvips: Difference between revisions

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'''dvips''' is a [[softwarecomputer program]] that converts the [[DVI file format|Device Independent file format (DVI)]] format output of [[TeX]] [[typography]] into a printable or otherwise presentable form. <tt>{{mono|dvips</tt>}} was written by [[Tomas Rokicki]] to produce printable [[PostScript]] files from DVI input, and is now commonly used for general DVI conversion.

The TeX typesetting system outputs DVI files which are intended to be [[device independent|independent of the output device]]. In particular, they are not understood by [[computer printer|printer]]s and lack information such as [[font]] shapes. Thus, a converter (i.e., a [[Front and back ends|backend]]) is needed to translate from a DVI file to a printer language. Although other DVI backends such as [[dvilj]] exist, {{mono|dvips}} is one of the most common ways of printing DVI files. Another, more recent solution is the use of [[pdfTeX]] to directly generate [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] files, which have readers for most platforms. Given its importance, {{mono|dvips}} is a standard part of most TeX distributions, such as [[teTeX]], and [[TeX Live]].

By using TeX <code>\special</code> commands, it is possible to directly insert "literal PostScript" into the DVI file and have such snippets of PostScript appear in the final file generated by <tt>{{mono|dvips</tt>}}. This flexibility allows the user to include, say, watermarks on his document (especially via the use of proper packages<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/eso-pic/|title=CTAN: /tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/eso-pic|website=Ctan.org|accessdate=9 October 2018}}</ref>) or further postprocess the PostScript file<ref><tt>[[pstricks]]</tt></ref>.

Although other DVI backends such as [[dvilj]] exist, <tt>dvips</tt> is, as stated earlier, one of the most common ways of printing DVI files. Another, more recent solution is the use of [[pdfTeX]] to directly generate [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] files, which have readers for most platforms. Given its importantce, <tt>dvips</tt> is a standard part of most TeX [[Software distribution|distributions]], such as [[teTeX]], and [[TeX Live]].

By using TeX <code>\special</code> commands, it is possible to directly insert "literal PostScript" into the DVI file and have such snippets of PostScript appear in the final file generated by <tt>dvips</tt>. This flexibility allows the user to include, say, watermarks on his document (especially via the use of proper packages<ref>http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/macros/latex/contrib/eso-pic/</ref>) or further postprocess the PostScript file<ref><tt>[[pstricks]]</tt></ref>.

When producing postscript files, dvips embeds fonts inside the file. Most recent distributions will normally embed scalable fonts, also known as [[Type 1 font]]s. Files generated with older distributions, however, may embed raster fonts. To substitute raster for scalable fonts in a postscript file in a situation where the original dvi file is unavailable use a utility called [[pkfix]].

==References==

{{reflistReflist}}

==External links==

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[[Category:PostScript]]

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[[Category:Digital typography]]

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