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Tim correctly writes:
<snip>
> PostScript isn't a graphics or presentation standard; it's
> a printer language. And it really IS a language, with conditionals, math
> functions, drawing elements, and all the rest that a true language needs.
</snip>
Close, very close...
PostScript is a compiled language, RTF is an interpreted language.
As an analogy this is the difference between C (a compiled language) and
BASIC (an interpreted language).
If you send a PostScript file to a non-PostScript printer, the
non-PostScript printer will try to print out the compiled code.
That is why you will see "%PS" followed by some ASCII code and many
carriage-return-line-feeds (almost blank pages).
This is why when you send a C program (.exe) to a printer you get the same
results as sending a PostScript file to a non-PostScript enabled printer.
PDF is based on PostScript because PostScript is owned by Adobe (as is PDF).
PostScript is offered (as an option) by most printer manufacturers. (Apple
only speaks Postscript.)
Many printer manufacturers do not whish to pay tribute to Adobe to license
PostScript and therefore write their own compiler. Kyocera, for example,
uses KPDL, or Kyocera Page Description Language. For more information on
printer languages see: http://kyocera.com
Any questions?
Schools out!
Regards,
Barry Kieffer
Technical Writer
MBD Customer Documentation
Tektronix, Inc.
