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POSTER(1)							     POSTER(1)

NAME
       poster - Scale and tile a postscript image to print on multiple pages

SYNOPSIS
       poster <options> infile

DESCRIPTION
       Poster  can be used to create a large poster by building it from multi‐
       ple pages and/or printing it on large media.  It	 expects  as  input  a
       generic	(encapsulated)	postscript file, normally printing on a single
       page.  The output is again a postscript file, maybe containing multiple
       pages together building the poster.  The output pages bear cutmarks and
       have slightly overlapping images for easier assembling.	The input pic‐
       ture will be scaled to obtain the desired size.

       The  program uses a brute-force method: it copies the entire input file
       for each output page, hence the output file can be very	large.	 Since
       the  program  does  not really bother about the input file contents, it
       clearly works for both black-and-white and color postscript.

       To control its operation, you need to specify either the	 size  of  the
       desired poster or a scale factor for the image:

       - Given the poster size, it calculates the required number of sheets to
	 print on, and from that a scale factor to fill these sheets optimally
	 with the input image.

       - Given	a  scale  factor, it derives the required number of pages from
	 the input image size, and positions the scaled image centered on this
	 area.

       Its  input  file	 should	 best be a real `Encapsulated Postscript' file
       (often denoted with the extension .eps or .epsf).  Such	files  can  be
       generated from about all current drawing applications, and text proces‐
       sors like Word, Interleaf and Framemaker.
       However poster tries to behave properly also on more  relaxed,  general
       postscript files containing a single page definition.  Proper operation
       is obtained for instance on pages generated by (La)TeX and (g)troff.

       The media to print on can be  selected  independently  from  the	 input
       image  size  and/or  the	 poster	 size. Poster will determine by itself
       whether it is beneficial to rotate the output image on the media.

       To preview the output results of poster and/or to (re-)print individual
       output pages, you should use a postscript previewer like ghostview(1).

OPTIONS
       -v Be verbose. Tell about scaling, rotation and number of pages.
	  Default is silent operation.

       -f Ask  manual  media  feed on the plotting/printing device, instead of
	  using its standard paper tray.
	  Default is adhering to the device settings.

       -i <box>
	  Specify the size of the input image.
	  Default is reading the image size from the `%%BoundingBox'  specifi‐
	  cation in the input file header.

       -m <box>
	  Specify the desired media size to print on. See below for <box>.
	  The  default	is set at compile time, being A4 in the standard pack‐
	  age.

       -p <box>
	  Specify the poster size. See below for  <box>.   Since  poster  will
	  autonomously choose for rotation, always specify a `portrait' poster
	  size (i.e. higher then wide).
	  If you give neither the -s nor the -p	 option,  the  default	poster
	  size is identical to the media size.

       -s <number>
	  Specify  a  linear  scaling  factor to produce the poster.  Together
	  with the input image size and optional margins, this induces an out‐
	  put poster size. So don't specify both -s and -p.
	  Default is deriving the scale factor to fit a given poster size.

       -c <box> or -c <number>%
	  Specify  the	cut  margin. This is the distance between the cutmarks
	  and the paper edge. If  the  output  is  really  tiled  on  multiple
	  sheets,  the cut marks indicate where to cut the paper for assembly.
	  This margin must be big enough to  cover  the	 non-printable	margin
	  which almost all printers have. For <box> see below.
	  Default  is  5%.  Only  when	you specify identical poster and media
	  sizes, the default cut margin becomes 0,  effectively	 removing  the
	  cutmarks.

       -w <box> or -w <number>%
	  Specify a white margin around the output image.
	  In  the  `ideal'  situation  (when  an input `eps' file specifies an
	  exact BoundingBox in its header), the output image  will  be	scaled
	  exactly  to the edges of the resulting poster (minus cut margin). If
	  you desire a certain margin  to  remain  around  the	picture	 after
	  poster assembly, you can specify this with `-w'.
	  (This	 option	 is  actually redundant, since you can obtain the same
	  result using -s or -i. However some  might  find  this  more	conve‐
	  nient.)
	  Default is 0.

       -C <number>
	  Select the clipping facilities you want to see on the page margin.
	  Clipping  facilities are the cut marks, consisting of cut mark line,
	  cut mark arrow head and the grid labels.
	  The following bits in the argument represent	one  of	 the  clipping
	  facilities:
	       bit 1 (value = 1): cutmark lines
	       bit 2 (value = 2): cutmark arrow heads
	       bit 3 (value = 4): grid label
	  Default is printing all clipping facilities.

       -O <number>
	  Specify  how	many  Postscript  dots the content of the output pages
	  shall overlap.
	  Overlapping content makes it easier to  glue	together  pages	 seam‐
	  lessly, but it consumes printing space.
	  Default is 6.

       -P <pagespec>
	  Specify  which pages of the poster to print. It consists of a comma-
	  separated list of single pages or page ranges (using the dash).  The
	  order	 in  which page number appears determines the final page order
	  in the result PostScript file. Page numbering starts at 1, from left
	  to right and bottom-up.
	  Examples: 1-2 or 1,3-4,7

       -o <outputfile>
	  Specify the name of the file to write the output into.
	  (Only	 added	for  those poor people who cannot specify output redi‐
	  rection from their command line due to a silly OS.)
	  Default is writing to standard output.

       The <box> mentioned above is a specification of horizontal and vertical
       size.   Only  in	 combination  with  the	 `-i' option, the program also
       understands the offset specification in the <box>.
       In general:
	    <box> = [<multiplier>][<offset>]<unit>
       with multipier and offset being specified optionally.
	    <multiplier> = <number>x<number>
	    <offset> = +<number>,<number>
	    <unit> = <medianame> or <distancename>

       Many international media names are recognised by the program, in	 upper
       and  lower case, and can be shortened to their first few characters, as
       long as unique.	For instance `A0', `Let'.
       Distance names are like `cm', `i', `ft'.

EXAMPLES
       The following command prints an A4 input file on 8 A3 pages, forming an
       A0 poster:
		poster -v -iA4 -mA3 -pA0 infile > outfile

       The  next  command  prints an eps input image on a poster of 3x3 Letter
       pages:
		poster -v -mLet -p3x3Let  image.eps > outfile

       The next command enlarges an eps input image to print on a  large-media
       A0 capable device, maintaining 2 inch margins:
		poster -v -mA0 -w2x2i image.eps > outfile

       Enlarge	a  postscript  image  exactly 4 times, print on the default A4
       media, and let poster determine the number of pages required:
		poster -v -s4 image.eps > outfile

       Scale a postscript image to a poster of about 1 square meter,  printing
       on  `Legal'  media,  maintaining	 a 10% of `Legal' size as white margin
       around the poster. Print cutmark lines and grid labels, but don't print
       cut mark arrow heads.
		poster -v -mLegal -p1x1m -w10% -C5 infile.ps > outfile

PROBLEMS & QUESTIONS
   I get a blurry image and/or interference patterns
       If  your	 input file contains -or consists of- pixel images (as opposed
       to just vector data which is essentially resolution  independent),  you
       might  have  this  problem.  Such pixel images are normally made to fit
       well to standard 300 (or 600) dpi devices.  Scaling such a picture with
       an  uncarefully chosen factor, can easily lead to hazy edges and inter‐
       ference patterns on the output.	The solution is to provide poster with
       an  exact scaling factor (with the -s option), chosen as an integer. If
       integer scaling is unpractical for your purpose,	 choose	 a  fractional
       number made from a small integer denominator (2, 3, 4).

   Can I select only a small part of a given input picture?
       Yes,  for  this purpose you can define both the size (width and height)
       and offset (from left and bottom) of  a	window	on  the	 input	image.
       Specify these numbers as argument to a `-i' command line option.
       One  way	 to  obtain such numbers is previewing the original image with
       ghostview, and observing the coordinate numbers	which  it  continually
       displays.   These  numbers  are	in postscript units (points), named by
       poster as just `p'.

   Poster doesn't seem to work properly, output pages are empty
       The major cause for poster not to work correctly, is  giving  it	 post‐
       script  files  which  don't  conform  to	 proper	 'eps' behaviour.  Try
       whether your application	 (or  printer  driver)	cannot	generate  real
       'encapsulated postscript'.

   If I ask for a 50x50cm poster, it always generates something bigger
       Yes,  probably.	When  specifying  a  desired output size with the `-p'
       option, poster first determines an array of sheets  to  cover  such  an
       area.   Then it determines a scale factor for the picture to fill these
       sheets upto their edge. As result your requested size is used as	 rough
       guess only.  If you want an exact output size, specify the scaling fac‐
       tor yourself with the `-s' option (and omit the `-p').

   I want to keep the white space around the poster as in my original
       Poster  will  as	 default  use  the  input  image  bounding  box,   and
       scale/translate that to the edges of your poster.  If the program which
       generated your input file specifies an exact and	 tight	%%BoundingBox,
       you  will indeed loose your white margin.  To keep the original margin,
       specify a `-i' option with as argument the papersize on which the orig‐
       inal  document was formatted (such as `-iA4').  Alternatively specify a
       smaller scale factor (with -s) or an explicit new margin (with -w).

POSTER ASSEMBLY
       Our preferred method for the assembly of a poster from multiple	sheets
       is as follows:

       - Arrange  the  sheets  in  the proper order on a large table or on the
	 floor.

       - Remove from all sheets, except from those in the leftmost  column  or
	 bottom row, their left and bottom cutmargin.

       - In  left-to-right  and	 bottom-to-top order, glue the right (and top)
	 cutmargin and stick the right (and upper) neighbouring page on top of
	 that.

       - Turn  the glued-together poster face bottom, and put adhesive tape on
	 the sheet edges (on the backside of the poster) for more strength.

       - Remove the remaining cutmargin around the poster.

DEVICE SETTINGS
       For postscript level-2 capable printers/plotters, which	is  about  all
       modern  postscript  devices  today, poster will send device settings in
       its output file.	 This consists of a `setpagedevice' call, setting:

       - the media size.
	 This is required for all printers I know to get correct behaviour  on
	 different media/picture sizes.

       - duplexing off.
	 Some printers will otherwise perform double-side printing by default.
	 Clearly that is not what you want to print a poster.

       - manual media feed.
	 This is given only when poster was executed  with  the	 `-f'  command
	 line  option.	This is a convenient feature if you want to print your
	 job on different media than normally installed in the paper tray, and
	 you  are  submitting  your  job  through  a multi-user networking and
	 spooling environment.

       These settings cause proper device behaviour, without the need to manu‐
       ally  interact  with  the  printer  settings, and has been here locally
       tested to work on devices like the HP300XL and HP650C.

       The settings thus passed in the postscript file, will affect the device
       for this job only.

DSC CONFORMANCE
       Poster will generate its own DSC header and other DSC lines in the out‐
       put file, according the `Document  Structuring  Conventions  -  version
       3.0', as written down in the `Postscript Language Reference Manual, 2nd
       ed.' from Adobe Systems Inc, Addison Wesley Publ comp., 1990.

       It will copy any `%%Document...' line from the input file DSC header to
       its  own	 header	 output.  This is used here in particular for required
       nonresident fonts.

       However the copy(s) of the input	 file  included	 in  the  output,  are
       stripped from all lines starting with a `%', since they tend to disturb
       our `ghostview' previewer and take useless space anyhow.

SEE ALSO
       ghostview(1)

CONTRIBUTED BY
       Jos van Eijndhoven (email: J.T.J.v.Eijndhoven@ele.tue.nl)
       Design Automation Section (http://www.es.ele.tue.nl)
       Dept. of Elec. Eng.
       Eindhoven Univ of Technology
       The Netherlands
       24 August, 1995

								     POSTER(1)
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