Do postscript (EPS) images print as postscript to printer?

[Josh]

Hi,

I have a Word document containing EPS images and would like them to
print out in postscript on a postscript printer. But Word I notice
passes the EPS image through a filter, and I'm wondering if this
filter is converting the EPS form to some generic vector format (or
whether it is just producing a bitmap representation to show in the
Word document). If this generic conversion is happening, then the
printer would not be receiving postscript. Does anyone know what the
filter does, and whether Word does actually sent postscript off to the
printer to print a postscript image?

Thanks

Josh

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Hi,

I have a Word document containing EPS images and would like them to
print out in postscript on a postscript printer. But Word I notice
passes the EPS image through a filter, and I'm wondering if this
filter is converting the EPS form to some generic vector format (or
whether it is just producing a bitmap representation to show in the
Word document).

It depends on the version of Office you've got, but from the sound of
it, that'd be 2002 or later.

That version of the EPS filter, IIRC, uses TIF previews that it finds in
the EPS, if it can read them. If not, or if there's no preview, it
creates its own bitmap image.

It uses this for display and for printing to non-PS devices, but should
still pass the EPS off to PS printers.

If you have several versions of Office installed, all bets re EPS are
off.

 

[Josh]

OK, thanks. I just discovered that the program I'm using which
generates the EPS images does not include a TIFF preview by default.
So Word (using 2007) is probably just generating a preview bitmap when
the filter dialog appears as you were saying.

Glad to hear EPS will print in postscript from Word, allaying quality
concerns.

Josh

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

OK, thanks. I just discovered that the program I'm using which
generates the EPS images does not include a TIFF preview by default.
So Word (using 2007) is probably just generating a preview bitmap when
the filter dialog appears as you were saying.

Almost certainly.

Glad to hear EPS will print in postscript from Word, allaying quality
concerns.

With any luck, yes.

In case you need to test this, do you know how? Shout if not.

 

[Josh]

Almost certainly.


With any luck, yes.

In case you need to test this, do you know how?  Shout if not.

A guess would be that a Word document would be created with an EPS
image inserted, printed using a postscript driver to file, and then
the file checked for whether it contains a lot of PS instructions or
an array of numbers for raster representation. This could be checked
by opening in a text editor, or seeing if elements of the image are
selectable separately in a PS editing program like Illustrator.

If you have another suggestion I'd be glad to hear it.

Josh

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

A guess would be that a Word document would be created with an EPS
image inserted, printed using a postscript driver to file, and then
the file checked for whether it contains a lot of PS instructions or
an array of numbers for raster representation.

Close; That'll give you a PS file which'll contain a lot of PS instructions
regardless.

But look at the first few bytes of the EPS. It'll generally include a few

%%Comments that look like
%%this

Then open the PS that you printed to file from Word. Search for one of
those comments. If you find it, you know Word's doing what you want it to.

This could be checked
by opening in a text editor, or seeing if elements of the image are
selectable separately in a PS editing program like Illustrator.

That too .. if you have Illustrator or Corel Draw and they can open the PS
file.

 

[Josh]

Close;  That'll give you a PS file which'll contain a lot of PS instructions
regardless.

But look at the first few bytes of the EPS.  It'll generally include a few

%%Comments that look like
%%this

Then open the PS that you printed to file fromWord.  Search for one of
those comments.  If you find it, you knowWord'sdoing what you want it to.


That too .. if you have Illustrator or Corel Draw and they can open the PS
file.

Of course! Why didn't I think of that, needless to say. That's a
surer way of doing it. Realizing that there's text in both the EPS
and printed PS, which should the same as you're saying.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Of course! Why didn't I think of that,

Probably because you didn't mis-spend your youth writing software that

needless to say. That's a
surer way of doing it. Realizing that there's text in both the EPS
and printed PS, which should the same as you're saying.

Thanks for the tip.

My pleasure.

Return the favor? Let us know what you learn? Thanks!

 

[Josh]

Probably because you didn't mis-spend your youth writing software that



My pleasure.

Return the favor?  Let us know what you learn?  Thanks!

It's good news.. MS Word 2007 does print EPS images to postscript. I
checked the printed PS file and it contained the same commented
section as that in the header of the EPS file.

Thanks again for your helpful suggestion.

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

It's good news.. MS Word 2007 does print EPS images to postscript. I
checked the printed PS file and it contained the same commented
section as that in the header of the EPS file.

Thanks again for your helpful suggestion.

Excellent!

Just as an FYI for anyone looking over our shoulder, I've found that if
you have several versions of Office installed, you may not be able to
print EPS from the older version.

Specifically, the newer EPS filter (the one that generates the preview
image) replaces the older one. It appears to work in older versions of
Office apps, but the EPS doesn't print properly.

Obvious workaround: print from the newer version of the Office app on the
same PC. <g>