Ubuntu Manpage: ps2fax - image POSTSCRIPT® for facsimile transmission by HylaFAX

Provided by: hylafax-server_6.0.6-5_amd64

NAME

       ps2fax - image POSTSCRIPT® for facsimile transmission by HylaFAX

SYNOPSIS

       /var/spool/hylafax/bin/ps2fax [ options ] [ files...  ]

DESCRIPTION

ps2fax takes POSTSCRIPT input and generates a TIFF Class F image file suitable for
facsimile transmission. It is usually invoked by the HylaFAX scheduler process, faxq(8).
On Silicon Graphics' IRIX systems, this application is based on Adobe's Display POSTSCRIPT
software. On other machines POSTSCRIPT imaging is typically done using the freely
available Ghostscript software.

ps2fax is actually a link (symbolic or otherwise) to the script appropriate for the
POSTSCRIPT imaging tool. The link is setup when the faxsetup(8) script is run to
configure a HylaFAX server machine for use.

Input files containing POSTSCRIPT may be specified on the command line. If none are
given, then ps2fax will read from standard input.

By default, ps2fax will generate a 98 line/inch output document whose page width is 1728
pixels and page length is 297 mm (a standard A4 page at low resolution). Horizontal
resolution is always 204 dpi. Command line options may be used to select alternate
vertical resolution and page dimensions.

If no filename is given, ps2fax writes its output to a file named ps.fax; the -o option
can be used to specify an alternate filename.

By default, output is compressed using the standard Group 3 1D-encoding scheme, with EOL
codes padded to byte boundaries. If the -2 option is specified, output is encoded with
the optional Group 3 2D-encoding scheme (EOL codes are still padded to byte boundaries).

This script can modify outgoing facsimile, such as watermarking, To do this create a shell
script etc/FaxModify in the spooling area that alters the document.

Note that bin/ps2fax is usually just a link to a shell script that invokes the appropriate
POSTSCRIPT RIP to do the work.

OPTIONS

       The following operations are recognized:

       -1        Write Group 3 1D-encoded data to the output file.

       -2        Write Group 3 2D-encoded data to the output file.

       -3        Write Group 4 MMR-encoded data to the output file.

       -m pages  Set the maximum number of pages that are permitted in the output file.  If  more
                 pages are present in the input document then abort processing.

       -o file   Write output to the specified file instead of the default ps.fax filename.

       -w width  Set the output page width, in pixels.  By default, pages are 1728 pixels wide.

       -l length Set  the  output  page  length  in  millimeters.   By  default,  pages  are  297
                 millimeters long.

       -r vres   Set the vertical resolution, in lines/inch, at which to image the POSTSCRIPT.

RUNTIME ENVIRONMENT

       Before user-supplied POSTSCRIPT is passed to the POSTSCRIPT interpreter, a limited  number
       of  operators  are defined.  These operators are operators commonly found in a LaserWriter
       printer and (sometimes) generated by Macintosh-based applications.

       The default Display  POSTSCRIPT-based  execution  environment  includes  support  for  the
       following fonts:
       AvantGarde-Book           Helvetica-Bold                  Palatino-BoldItalic
       AvantGarde-BookOblique    Helvetica-BoldOblique           Palatino-Italic
       AvantGarde-Demi           Helvetica-Narrow                Palatino-Roman
       AvantGarde-DemiOblique    Helvetica-Narrow-Bold           StoneSerif
       Bookman-Demi              Helvetica-Narrow-BoldOblique    Symbol
       Bookman-DemiItalic        Helvetica-Narrow-Oblique        Tekton
       Bookman-Light             Helvetica-Oblique               Times-Bold
       Bookman-LightItalic       Lithos-Bold                     Times-BoldItalic
       Courier                   NewCenturySchlbk-Bold           Times-Italic
       Courier-Bold              NewCenturySchlbk-BoldItalic     Times-Roman
       Courier-BoldOblique       NewCenturySchlbk-Italic         ZapfChancery-MediumItalic
       Courier-Oblique           NewCenturySchlbk-Roman          ZapfDingbats
       Helvetica                 Palatino-Bold
       Note that this is the same set of fonts supported by the DPS extension to the X server.

       The  default  Ghostscript-based  environment  is  more  uncertain; consult the Ghostscript
       documentation for information on what fonts are available.

FILES

       /var/spool/hylafax/etc/dpsprinter.ps    POSTSCRIPT code read at startup for DPS
       /usr/lib/DPS/default.dps_vm             startup VM file for DPS
       /usr/lib/DPS/outline                    Type 1 fonts for DPS
       /usr/lib/DPS/prebuilt                   prebuilt versions of fonts for DPS

BUGS

       Output from the Display POSTSCRIPT version of this command is  encoded  according  to  the
       Display POSTSCRIPT binary encoding protocol.

       No  prebuilt  bitmap  fonts  are  currently available for the DPS-based imager; this would
       greatly improve legibility at low resolutions, as the rendering of outline fonts at 98 lpi
       is particularly poor.

       Both DPS- and Ghostscript-based versions of this program fail to exit with non-zero status
       when an invalid POSTSCRIPT document is  processed;  this  makes  it  problematic  for  the
       HylaFAX  queue  manager  to  determine  when  a  problem  arises  when preparing a job for
       transmission.