Converting PostScript Files to PDF: ps2pdf vs. ps2pdfwr
PostScript (PS) is a page description language that has been widely used in the printing and publishing industries for many years. However, with the increasing popularity of PDF as a universal file format, there is a need to convert PostScript files to PDF. This article will discuss the two main approaches to converting PostScript files to PDF: using the ps2pdf command and the ps2pdfwr command.
The ps2pdf Command
ps2pdf is a command-line utility that is part of the Ghostscript package. It converts PostScript files to PDF by rasterizing the PostScript code and embedding it in a PDF container. The resulting PDF file is often larger than the original PostScript file, but it is fully compatible with all PDF viewers.
ps2pdf input.ps output.pdfThe ps2pdfwr Command
ps2pdfwr is another command-line utility that is also part of the Ghostscript package. It converts PostScript files to PDF by recompiling the PostScript code and embedding it in a PDF container. The resulting PDF file is often smaller than the original PostScript file, but it may not be fully compatible with all PDF viewers.
ps2pdfwr input.ps output.pdfReal-World Differences
The main practical difference between ps2pdf and ps2pdfwr is the size of the resulting PDF file. ps2pdfwr typically produces smaller PDF files than ps2pdf, which can be an advantage when dealing with large PostScript files. However, ps2pdfwr may not be fully compatible with all PDF viewers, which can be a disadvantage in some situations.
Another difference between the two commands is the way they handle fonts. ps2pdf embeds all fonts in the PDF file, while ps2pdfwr only embeds the fonts that are actually used in the document. This can result in smaller PDF files, but it also means that the fonts may not be available if the document is printed or viewed on a different system.
In conclusion, both ps2pdf and ps2pdfwr are useful command-line utilities for converting PostScript files to PDF. ps2pdf produces larger PDF files that are fully compatible with all PDF viewers, while ps2pdfwr produces smaller PDF files that may not be fully compatible with all PDF viewers. The choice between the two commands depends on the specific requirements of the conversion task.
References
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