Preparing a File for Printing

Before you print a file, you can change its paper size and orientation. You can also scale your pages to enlarge or reduce them. You use the Page Layout command to choose what your pages will look like on paper, as shown in Figure 14-1 on page 14-2.

1. Open the file and choose Format from the application's main menu.

2. Choose Page Layout from the Format menu.

3. Choose a paper size from the Paper Size pop-up list. Or type custom dimensions in the Width and Height fields.

4. Click on Portrait or Landscape.

5. Click on OK.

Figure 14-1

You can make the size of the pages in your file match the size of the paper in your printer with the Paper Size pop-up list. When you choose a paper size, its dimensions are displayed in the Width and Height fields.

If your paper size is not included in the list, you can type custom dimensions in the Width and Height fields in inches, centimeters, picas, or points. (Picas and points are commonly used to measure typographical material. A point is 1/72 of an inch, and a pica is 12 points, or 1/6 of an inch.) You can choose the units of measurement you want to use from the Units pop-up list.

You can print your pages upright or sideways on the paper by clicking on the Portrait or Landscape button respectively.

The Page Layout command may not be in the Format menu in your application. See the user's guide for your application.

Printing a File

When you are ready to print a file, select a printer, the pages you want to print, and the number of copies, as shown in Figure 14-2 on page 14-3.

1. Open the file and choose Print from the application's main menu.

2. Click on the name of the printer you want to use.

3. Type the number of copies in the Copies field.

4. Click on All to print the whole file. Or type page numbers in the From and To fields to print part of the file.

5. Choose Paper Feed and Resolution options.

6. Click on Options to set any special options for your printer.

7. Click on Print.

Figure 14-2

The name of the current printer appears at the top of the Print panel. It remains the current printer until you select a different one. If only one printer is available, the scrolling list is not displayed in the panel.

Type the range of pages you want to print in the To and From fields (see Figure 14-3). You can type 0 or even a negative number in the From field if you want to print pages that come before page 1.

Figure 14-3

When you click on Print, your pages are prepared for printing. A temporary file is created and sent to the print queue for the printer you selected. If no other files are in the queue, your file is printed immediately.

You can preview on screen what your pages will look like on paper with the Preview button. See "Previewing Pages" on page 11-3.

Print Panel Options

Different printers offer different options in the Print panel. You choose the options you want from the pop-up lists in the Print and Printer Options panels.

Paper Feed

This option lists the sources of paper available to your printer. Some common sources are as follows:

Cassette Uses the paper in the printer's cassette.

Manual Uses envelopes, acetate, or other stationery you feed into the printer by hand. (For instructions on feeding paper manually, see the owner's guide for your printer.)

Upper, Lower, or another named cassette Uses paper from a specific cassette, if your printer has more than one.

Any Tray Automatically uses paper from the cassette that matches the size of your pages.

Split Uses multiple cassettes. The paper in the second cassette is used for the first page, and the paper in the first cassette is used for the second and following pages in the file. This option is commonly used to print cover sheets on letterhead or other special paper.

Resolution

This option lists the resolutions your printer can print at, expressed in dots per inch (dpi). You can print sharper lines and smoother gradations of shading by choosing a higher resolution. High-resolution printing may take longer than low-resolution printing.

Options

If your printer offers options beyond those shown on the Print panel, you can click on the Options button in the Print panel to set them. The Printer Options panel displays the special settings for your printer in a series of pop-up lists. For example, a printer might offer several printing modes for different paper stocks and ink coverages. For more information about the options offered by your printer, see its owner's guide.

Saving Your Pages as a PostScript File

You can prepare a file for printing and then save the prepared file instead of printing it, as shown in Figure 14-4 on page 14-6. The prepared file is a PostScript^(TM) file.

1. Choose Print from the main menu.

2. On the Print panel, select a printer, the page range, and other options you want.

3. Click on the Print panel's Save button.

4. On the Save panel, type a name for the file and select the folder in which you want to save it.

5. Click on OK.

Figure 14-4

What Is a PostScript File?

A PostScript file is a description, in the PostScript language, of a graphic image or pages.

PostScript is a standard programming language for describing text, images, and pages. PostScript is most commonly used to describe pages for a printer. It is also the language used to describe what you see on the OpenStep desktop.

Different types of PostScript files are designed for different purposes. For example, the PostScript files you create with the Print panel describe whole pages, and may include options for working with a variety of printers or features specific to a single kind of printer. They have a .ps extension. You can open them with the Preview application, as described in Chapter 11, "Working With Graphics."

Some applications, such as illustration applications, use image-oriented encapsulated PostScript (EPS) files for displaying graphics. These files have an .eps extension.

The files you create in the Print panel are not EPS files, so you should not try to open them in page layout and graphics applications.

Why Save PostScript Files?

You can use the PostScript files you create with the Print panel to:

• Take a "snapshot" of your pages. Sometimes, page layout and other options you choose in an application change the way a page is printed. You can save a version as a PostScript file so that in the future, you can print it exactly as you saved it, regardless of other changes you make to the file, to your application, or to your system software.
• Create a version of your pages that anyone with a PostScript printer can print, exactly as you intended, even if they do not have the same system, application software, and fonts as you have.
• Prepare a file for a printer you do not own, such as a high-resolution imagesetter or film recorder. For example, you may want to take a copy of the PostScript file to a service bureau for printing.