Subject: [netatalk-admins] MacOS 8.5 printing/postscript problem.

From: Peter Whaite <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 11:25:25 -0500

We are trying to get an imac with an OS 8.5 (French) to print to papd on
Redhat Linux (2.0.36).  File goes via ghostscript-5.50 to a HP-5L.  The mac
file gets there, the printer shows activity, but nothing comes out.

The problem is the postscript produced by the OS 8.5 on the imac. Choosen
printer is a 'LaserWriter 8', with a 'LaserWriter NTX II' ppd.

I've tracked the problem down to the font definitions produced by the Mac. If
the document contains only the std laserwriter fonts, it prints just fine.  A
non-standard font in the document (e.g. Geneva) causes a postscript
/invalidfont error. 

Furthermore if I save the print job as an EPS file on the imac, transfer this
to the linux box using ftp (text or binary), and run it through ghostscript,
then I get the same error.

If I delete the font definition from the postscript (either from the eps, or
from a captured papd file), then gs substitutes Helvetica for the missing
geneva, and the document prints fine.

So this is not a netatalk problem, but a MacOS 8.5 postscript problem.  I'm
posting here in the hope someone else has encountered it and knows of a
solution.   Possibilities:

1. Magic PPD incantation, but I dont think that explains the EPS problem as
   that should be independent of the printer.
2. MacOS8.5.1 upgrade.  My problem here is that this is a French version and
   the apple patch is said to be for the US English only.
3. Known ghostscript problem (I couldn't find one).

Now if only we had a postscript printer!!

--
Dr. Peter Whaite  
VP Research and Development, Cortex Machina Corp.
460 ste-Catherine O, bureau 942, Montreal, Quebec. H3B 1A7
Phone: (514) 395 8515/9059  Fax:   (514) 878 2874

---

From: Paul Krohn <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 98 10:54:55 -0800

>non-standard font in the document (e.g. Geneva) causes a postscript

uh, i think geneva is a truetype font, no? could it be as simple as that? 
try a 'nonstandard' font that _is_ a postscript font, and see what hapens.

------------
Paul Krohn
San Francisco Examiner Systems Department
110 Fifth Street
San Francisco, CA  94103
415-777-7884
[email-masked] - www.examiner.com