Copying FAQ

What’s Your Question?

1. What file types are accepted at Econoprint for black and white digital copying?
2. What is PostScript?
3. How do I create a PostScript file from my Windows document?
4. How do I install a PostScript printer on my Windows PC?
5. What is a PDF file?
6. How do I create a PDF file from my Windows document?
7. How do I convert a PostScript file to a PDF file on my Windows PC?
8. What if I don’t have the full version of Adobe Acrobat to make a PDF file?
9. Can I make a PDF or PostScript file if I’ve used a desktop publishing application (like Publisher, InDesign, Pagemaker, or QuarkXPress)?

Here’s Our Answer!

1. What file types are accepted at Econoprint for black and white digital copying?

To obtain the best rates and turnaround, Econoprint accepts PDF and PostScript files.

2. What is PostScript?

PostScript (PS) is a powerful and widely used page description language developed and owned by Adobe. When you print a document on a PostScript printer the document is first converted into this language and subsequently sent to the printer. That converted document language can be captured and saved as a PostScript file. Then, the saved PostScript (PS) file can be used for distribution or printing on high-volume printing equipment, like the digital copying equipment at Econoprint. The PS file may be saved with different options. The option Optimize for Portability – ADSC ensures the widest possible distribution. PostScript files are ASCII files and may be quite large. For transmission or storing, they may be compressed (like Zip or StuffIt).

3. How do I create a PostScript file from my Windows document?

It is quite simple to create a PostScript file if you have a PostScript printer installed on your Windows PC. If you do not have a PostScript printer installed, then install one first. Make sure that the printer driver prints to file.

1. Open your document in MS Word or another Windows application.
2. Select the File/Print menu item.
3. Select the PostScript printer from the list of printers. It does not matter if this printer is not connected to the PC or the network.
4. Click on Properties and select the PostScript tab.
5. Select the option Postscript (Optimize for Portability – ADSC).
6. Click OK to return to the Print menu.
7. Check the box Print to File and click OK (this may not be necessary if you have set up your printer as specified in the next question).
8. Click Print to save the document to a file.
9. When requested, enter the file name and make sure to which folder the file will be written. Click OK.
10. Finally, change the file extension from .prn to .ps

4. How do I install a PostScript printer on my Windows PC?

This is easy if you have the Windows installation CD available.

1. Choose the Start/Settings/Printers menu item.
2. Click Add Printer to open the Add Printer Wizard and follow the steps.
3. When asked to select a printer, choose any PostScript printer, for instance, the HP LaserJet 2100 Series PS printer. It does not matter if this printer is not actually connected to the PC or the network.
4. When asked to select the port to which the printer is connected, select FILE: Creates a File on Disk. If you do not have the Windows installation CD handy, then you can instead get a very good PostScript driver from the Adobe website, http://www.adobe.com. Make sure that you select the correct version for your system, and follow the instructions.

5. What is a PDF file?

PDF-Portable Document Format-also is a page description format developed and owned by Adobe. It is a compressed and adapted version of PostScript. PDF files generally have a much smaller size than the corresponding PS files. To view PDF files, you need Acrobat Reader. If this is not installed on your system, then Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX versions may be downloaded free of charge from the Adobe website, http://www.adobe.com. Under UNIX you may also use xPDF to view PDF files. Recent versions of Ghostview (UNIX) and GSView (Windows) also support PDF. PDF files are binary files, so make sure that you use the right setting when you transmit them by FTP (File Transfer Protocol).

6. How do I create a PDF file from my Windows document?

To convert your Windows document (such as an MS Word document) into a PDF file, you need Adobe Acrobat. This is a commercial product and not included with the free Adobe Reader. Acrobat 5 and 6 come with the Distiller printer driver and with PDFMaker for Word. Earlier versions of Adobe Acrobat supported PDFWriter, which is not recommended. To use Adobe Distiller follow these steps:

1. Open your document in the appropriate Windows application (such as MS Word)
2. Select the File/Print menu item
3. Select Acrobat Distiller from the list of printers
4. Click on the button Properties, and choose the Adobe PDF settings tab
5. In Select Conversion Settings, choose Print or Press Quality (do NOT use ebook, Screen, Standard, or Smallest Size as your setting)
6. Click on the button Edit Conversion Settings
7. Under the tab Fonts, make sure that the boxes Embed All Fonts and Subset Embedded Fonts are checked. This ensures that your PDF document may be properly viewed and printed on other systems.
8. Click OK to print the document. Alter the file name as needed, and make note to which folder the file has been written.

7. How do I convert a PostScript file to a PDF file on my Windows PC?

There are several ways to convert a PostScript file to a PDF file on a Windows PC:

1. Use Adobe Acrobat Distiller. This is part of the Adobe Acrobat package.
2. Open Distiller
3. In Settings/Job options select Print or Press as your settings. If that is not available, under the Fonts tab, check the boxes
4. Embed All Fonts and Subset Embedded fonts for maximum portability.
5. Then select File/Open the PS file.
6. Save the PDF file to the desired folder.

8. What if I don’t have the full version of Adobe Acrobat to make a PDF file?

There are various sites on the World Wide Web that offer free conversion to PDF.

• Adobe’s https://createpdf.adobe.com offers five free conversions from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, Publisher, and many other applications. Or, purchase a monthly or yearly subscription for unlimited conversions.
• GoBCL.com at www.goBCL.com offers free conversion of MS Word documents to PDF. Registration is required.
• Ps2pdf.com at www.ps2pdf.com converts PostScript files to PDF.

9. Can I make a PDF or PostScript file if I’ve used a desktop publishing application (like Publisher, InDesign, Pagemaker, or QuarkXPress)?

Yes, you can make a PDF or PostScript file of your document for digital copying by using Acrobat Distiller or by printing to a file via a PostScript printer description. But if for some reason you cannot make a PDF or PostScript file, then you can provide a desktop publishing application file along with all fonts and linked graphics to Econoprint. Econoprint can make a PDF file from your Publisher, InDesign, Pagemaker, or QuarkXPress file for an additional fee.