HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: beck@freia.inf.tu-dresden.de (Andre Beck)
Subject: Re: DPS Color use
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, TU Dresden, Germany.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 20:57:17 GMT


|> Buy a NeXT. :-)

    ^^^^ Give me the money... (Yep, I would like one :)

-- 
,------------------------+---------------------------------------------.
| Andre' Beck (ABPSoft)  |   TCP/IP-Mail: beck@freia.inf.tu-dresden.de |
| HG R 142               |   VMS        : hermes::beck                 |
+------------------------+---------------------------------------------+
|       Windows is the best placebo against MS-DOOF headaches !        |
`----------------------------------------------------------------------'

Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: byer@adobe.com (Scott Byer)
Subject: Re: What is EPS format? any way to convert a ps file into EPS?
Reply-To: byer@adobe.com (Scott Byer)
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 18:32:25 GMT

Naiming Shen writes:

> I have some postscript files(generated by a software on the Sun)
> I want to inport into a paint program on the MAC. But the Mac paint
> software only takes EPS(Encapsulated postscript format) files. I'm
> wondering how similar is the ps format and the EPS format. Why we
> even need EPS format since the ps is the standard already. Is there
> a conversion program to convert ps into EPS format? Also the Mac
> paint software can't even input a EPS file produced by Wordperfect
> on an IBM type machine. Somehow the paint software only look at
> the Macbinary codes associated with the EPS file.  Thanks in advance.

EPS is a restricted subset of PostScript, such that none of the
operators which would modify graphics state beyond the included
EPS are allowed.  It also includes several comments inteded to make
it easier for inclusion by other programs (such as the %%BoundingBox
comment).  The specification can be found in the appedices of the
sencond edition of the Red Book.

Note, however, that many programs which claim to import EPS
(especially on the Mac and on the PC) can't really interpret the
PostScript - they simply try and find a "preview bitmap" that can
be included at the front of the EPS file.  The format for the
bitmaps for the PC and the Mac are slightly different (they are
intended to be easy for native programs to use).

Since the paint program sounds like it only wants to deal with the
preview bitmap, and refuses to do the "gray box thing" you may just
be out of luck.  Many programs, when importing EPS without a preview
bitmap, will put up a box the size of the EPS's bounding box as a
manipulable representation - the EPS file gets included when printing
and will print correctly.  This is the preferred way of dealing
with EPS on a machine that lacks Display PostScript.

--
Scott Byer                             NeXTMail: byer@mv.us.adobe.com
Adobe Systems Incorporated               These are *my* opinions, and  
1585 Charleston Road, P.O. Box 7900        do not necessarily reflect
Mountain View, CA 94039-7900             the opinions of my employer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jpasqua@next.com (Joe Pasqua)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: DPS Color use
Date: 17 Dec 92 17:17:11 GMT
Reply-To: jpasqua@next.com

In article <zisk-111292153206@macne010.boston.us.adobe.com> zisk@adobe.com  
(Stephen Zisk) writes:
> In article <MSL9EGP@math.fu-berlin.de>, beck@irzr17.inf.tu-dresden.de
> (Andre Beck) wrote:
> > How do I get a 1280x1024 pixel image that uses less than 256 colors
> > on the display WITHOUT any dithering ? In other words, how can I force
> > the XDPS system to allocate new colors ?
> 
> Preface: I am not a DPS expert, but I do have a manual in front of me,
> so here goes, and watch out for the trees!
> ...Bunch of other stuff deleted...

The answer is that in general you can't. The image operator as implemented in  
DPS/X does not pay attention to "actual" colors described in Stephen's  
message. All rendering other than images use these colors. By the way, the  
"actual" parameter is not a boolean as suggested in Stephen's message - it is  
a count. Finally, if you do need to use "actual" colors I suggest that rather  
than use the actual parameter to the XDPSCreateContext call, that you look at  
the setXrgbactual operator. It gives better control of the allocation of  
"actual" colors.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From:  jvr@or.math.lgu.spb.su (Joseph Romanovsky)
Subject: Happy New Year in Russian style
Reply-To: jvr@or.math.lgu.spb.su
Organization: University of St-Petersburg
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 07:12:27 GMT

%    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of us
%           Joseph Romanovsky,
%             St-Petersburg University, Russia
%
/N {def}def /m{moveto }N /l{lineto}N /rl{rlineto}N
/rm{rmoveto}N /CP{currentpoint}N /CL{closepath}N
/bp{0 0 m}N /RGBf {setrgbcolor fill}N
/hrl{0 rl}N /vrl{0 exch rl}N /hrm{0 rm}N /vrm{0 exch rm}N
/pneg{neg exch neg exch}N /LW{setlinewidth}N
/dadd{dup add add}N /rot{3 -1 roll}N /rotn{3 1 roll}N
/padd{rot add exch rot add exch}N
/psub{rot sub exch rot sub exch}N
/pmul{dup rotn mul rotn mul exch}N
/pdup{exch dup rot dup rotn}N

/arcpop{100 arcto 4 {pop} repeat}N
/REDWh{gsave 1 0 0.05 RGBf grestore stroke}N
/BL{2 LW}N /FL{6 LW}N /Fstr{FL stroke BL}N
/sq3 3 sqrt N /dx {dy sq3 mul} N /n 5 N
/ct 0.001 N  /xt 1 N

bp 1100 hrl 800 vrl -1100 hrl CL 0.2501 dup 1 RGBf
usertime srand

/fll { /x 0 N /y 0 N
 n {/x x dx dadd N /y y dy dadd N dx dy rm dup vrl x neg hrm
    dup neg dup vrl y neg vrm vrl x hrm dup vrl y vrm n 1 roll} repeat
  x y -0.5 pmul rm xb dup vrm dup -2 mul vrl vrm } N
/flake { gsave translate SC
   /xb rand 60 mod rand 60 mod mul 60 mod 20 add xt mul N
   /coef xb ct mul N /dy xb n 1 add div 0.45 mul N
   1 1 n{neg n add 3 add coef mul rand 100 mod mul}for
   bp 3{fll 120 rotate} repeat stroke n{pop} repeat grestore}N
/st { bl m gsave 80 vrl 20 hrl -80 vrl CL
   REDWh grestore 10 20 rm star 45 vrm star } N
/star { CP flake} N
/letM {pdup m /bl exch N 20 75 rm 80 -110 -30 -110 50 0 rcurveto Fstr
   dup bl m 40 hrm star dup st 70 add st } N
/carc {CP 10 -24 padd 24 90 250 arcn}N

BL /SC {1 setgray} N SC
30 { rand 800 mod rand 480 mod 200 200 padd flake} repeat

FL 200 100 m
800 100 200 100 800 500 800 200 100 500 200 500
100 100 100 200 4 {arcpop} repeat
CL gsave 0.18 0.18 1 RGBf grestore stroke

BL /SC {1 1 0 setrgbcolor}N  /xt 0.15 N
380 300 325 150 490 150
3{ m gsave 50 vrm CP 30 0 padd 30 180 0 arcn -20 vrl CP -30 0 padd
   30 0 180 arcn CL Fstr grestore 30 hrm star} repeat
270 230 m 40 hrl -20 -30 rl
450 150 m 80 vrl -40 -80 rl -20 vrm -20 20 rl 80 hrl -20 -20 rl
480 376 m CP 18 sub 18 90 270 arcn carc
560 340 m carc
320 340 m 20 hrl Fstr
655 300 letM 300 340 460 540 610 5 {st} repeat
570 150 letM 250 st 450 st
250 370 m 40 vrl 190 410 60 0 180 arc -60 vrl
130 260 180 250 190 180 curveto 20 hrl
210 240 220 240 240 280 curveto -10 30 rl
-35 -60 rl 180 285 162 290 162 330 curveto 70 vrl
CP exch 30 add exch 30 180 0 arcn -30 vrl CL REDWh
200 220 230 280 170 250 150 300 145 370
240 400 150 420 200 445 8 {m star} repeat
  showpage
From: dtb@adpgate.UUCP (Tom Beach)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Problems with downloaded type 1 fonts.
Date: 11 Dec 92 17:34:54 GMT
Article-I.D.: treyvan.1795
Organization: ADP Dealer Services R&D, Portland, OR

Hi,

I'm having a problem with downloaded fonts to my TI Microlaser PS35

I'm running Adobe Type Manager with Windows 3.1 and the Micrographx 
postscript driver. Whenever I use the type 1 fonts supplied with ATM
and Micrographx Designer, the printer defaults to courier unless I 
first download the font explicitly. Taking the postscript file produced
by the printer driver to another system and sending it to a HP Laserjet III
with a postscript cartridge works as expected. TrueType fonts work as
expected. It's just type 1 fonts, and it's just the TI Microlaser.

I can work around it by explicitly downloading the fonts so it's not
a major problem. It is annoying and I'd prefer to fix it :-)

Any good ideas, or explnations, or ......

You may follow-up to comp.lang.postscript or email to me at:

	dtb@adpgate.UUCP

Tom
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca (Lance R. Bailey)
Subject: Re: Printing images much faster!
Reply-To: zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca
Organization: University of Western Ontario
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 12:05:07 GMT

In article <4590@vidiot.UUCP> brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) writes:
>If it is attached via the serial port, you are limited by the serial port
>speed.  At 9600 baud, that is a possible maximum of 960 characters a second.
>Pretty damn slow.  Changing to 38400 baud will improve that by a factor of 4.


i seem to remember a tweek that allowed you to boost an old apple LaserWriter
to speeds beyond 9600 -- clues?

--
Lance R. Bailey  System/Network Manager         Robarts Research Institute
     NeXT/email: zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca    box: Clinical Trials Resources Group
            fax: +1 519 663 3789                P.O. Box 5015, 100 Perth Dr.
            vox: +1 519 663 3787 x4108          London, Canada N6A 5K8
Got Mole Problems? Call Avogadro 6.02 X 10^23. -- Ira Somach
Xref: sparky comp.lang.postscript:5943 comp.sys.sun.admin:9362
From: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.sys.sun.admin
Subject: Re: NeWSPrint "Structured PostScript"
Date: 12 Dec 92 05:42:35 GMT
Reply-To: brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot)
Organization: Vidiot's Hangout

In article <1992Dec10.221923.11374@bradley.bradley.edu> pwh@bradley.bradley.edu (Pete Hartman) writes:
<
<I am trying to set up NewsPrint version 1.0 to print header information
<on each page of output rather than on a seperate banner page.  Generally
<the things being printed are one-sheet graphics from various engineering
<packages like ANSYS--pictures of parts.  So a banner page is a 50% loss
<of paper.  But simply not printing a banner page doesn't leave any way of
<identifying whose printout is whose, in an environment of students
<who are often working on identical homework assignments.

Before you put too much work into NeWSprint 1.0, dump it.  It is too buggy.
Get the 2.0 upgrade, you'll be alot happier.  While you may not find a part
number for the upgrade in the Sun Express catalog, there is one and they
know it.  So will any of the Sun resellers.  Be sure and get the upgrade,
since it is cheaper than getting it from scratch.  Even though it is an
upgrade, you get the complete package.
-- 
      harvard\                          spool.cs.wisc.edu!astroatc!vidiot!brown
Vidiot  ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!vidiot!brown
      rutgers/            INTERNET:vidiot!brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu
                                   brown@wi.extrel.com
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: asente@adobe.com (A Usenet Pal)
Subject: Re: DPS Color use
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:20:44 GMT

In article <zisk-111292153206@macne010.boston.us.adobe.com> zisk@adobe.com (Stephen Zisk) writes:
>In article <MSL9EGP@math.fu-berlin.de>, beck@irzr17.inf.tu-dresden.de
>(Andre Beck) wrote:
>> How do I get a 1280x1024 pixel image that uses less than 256 colors
>> on the display WITHOUT any dithering ? In other words, how can I force
>> the XDPS system to allocate new colors ?
>
>Preface: I am not a DPS expert, but I do have a manual in front of me,
>so here goes, and watch out for the trees!

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain :-)

The exact behavior is implementation dependent, but the reality is that
Level 1 implementations of DPS always use halftones in images.  There is
no way to avoid the dithering.  Level 2 systems, which will be coming out
eventually, will not have this limitation.

Just to correct another small mistake in Steve's posting so that mistaken
information doesn't propagate, the "actual" parameter to XDPSCreateContext
is an integer indicating how many actuals you want allocated, not a Boolean
indicating whether to allocate them.  It is just a hint, and some DPS/X
implementations ignore it, so you should not depend upon it for anything.

__   -paul asente
\/     asente@adobe.com   ...decwrl!adobe!asente   moo-bear@cs.stanford.edu

o       Worldwide deaths involving courier font have increased
        9% over the past two years.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: rcd@raven.eklektix.com (Dick Dunn)
Subject: Re: can I print a mirrored page???
Summary: correction
Organization: eklektix - Boulder, Colorado
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 07:59:25 GMT

(I wrote a followup earlier today, in which I read and wrote "renderable"
while I was thinking "physical".  The offending neurons have been harshly
disciplined, and a cancel message is chasing my original f*u* around the
net.  Thanks to pg@stortek.com for gently noting my incoherent babble.)

shaver@convex.com (Dave Shaver) writes:
>/mirror { 8.5 72 mul 0 translate -1 1 scale } def
>
>To avoid the nasty A4 v. US paper problem, you could use the initial
>clippath and assume that's the size of the renderable page.

The initial clippath is (nearly by definition) the size of the renderable
page--i.e., the clippath defines where you can put pixels and see them.

Trouble is, to reflect the page properly, you need to translate by the
*physical* page width.  The PostScript coordinate system has its origin at
a corner of the physical page, so the translation required for an accurate
reflection depends on the size of the paper, not the renderable area.  Most
printers require some unprintable area around the edges of the paper, hence
the initial clippath will be a rectangle smaller than the physical page...
you might have 8.3" renderable on an 8.5" page.

One hack that probably gets you closer is to guess that the unprintable
edges are the same; thus adding the x of the lower-left-hand corner of the
initial clippath to the x of the upper-right-hand corner should get you
very close to the physical page width.  (This is more likely if the printer
feeds short-edge.)

If you've got a Level 2 implementation, it's a lot easier:
	currentpagedevice /PageSize get 0 get
gives the width of the physical page.
-- 
Dick Dunn    rcd@raven.eklektix.com   -or-   raven!rcd    Boulder, Colorado
	...Straight, but not narrow.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: kjellm@odin.unik.no (Kjell M. Myksvoll)
Subject: Rotating an abitrary (conforming) page.
Organization: Universitetsstudiene paa Kjeller (UNIK), University of Oslo,
	Norway
Date: 18 Dec 92 15:03:52


Hello all,

Does anyone knows how one can roatate an arbitrary page in an arbitrary
angle in a Conforming Postscript Document?

Kind regards and merry xmas to everyone!

kjell
kjellm@unik.no
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: jgm@cs.brown.edu (Jonathan Monsarrat)
Subject: Re: ehandler.ps
Organization: Brown University Department of Computer Science
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 21:39:52 GMT


Anyone else who'd like ehandler.ps and behandler.ps can get 'em
from wilma.cs.brown.edu in pub/postscript.

behandler.ps is a great modification by Fredric Ihren that tries to
tell you where in the PostScript file the error occurred. (I have his
permission to make it ftp-available.)

-Jon

p.s. I was wrong about various programs only convering partial fonts.
Berthold Horn tells me that only DVIPSONE does this with Type 1 fonts.
"dvips" converts partial fonts only with TeX bitmapped fonts.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript,comp.text.tex
From: edge@unislc.uucp (Brian Edginton)
Subject: Schematics for Network Analysis ?
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 13:33:22 GMT

Has anyone developed TeX, LaTeX, or PS versions of the symbols
in general use for network analysis?

Thanks in advance,
 edge

-- 
Brian Edginton                   | edge@unislc.slc.unisys.com
Unisys - Performance Engineering | unislc!edge@cs.utah.edu
320 North 2200 West  D1V01       | {hpda, sun, uplherc}!unislc!edge 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116       | (801) 594-6009 Human (usually)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca (Lance R. Bailey)
Subject: PostScript in HP LJ4 with with sims
Reply-To: zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca
Organization: University of Western Ontario
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:01:20 GMT



i just did a sim upgrade to give a LJ4 PostScript (it *is* Christmas :) and
am having trouble loading fonts.

i took the file which, when sent to an Apple LaserWriter loads and installs
the font. I sent this file to the LJ4 and then tried to use it, 
but got Courier. Tests show that whilst the online light is blinking (ie: the
job has yet to timeout) the font is available. but as soon as the job times
out, the font is gone.

This is a Level 2 printer, could this be a factor? thank you.
--
Lance R. Bailey  System/Network Manager         Robarts Research Institute
     NeXT/email: zaphod@ctrg.rri.uwo.ca    box: Clinical Trials Resources Group
            fax: +1 519 663 3789                P.O. Box 5015, 100 Perth Dr.
            vox: +1 519 663 3787 x4108          London, Canada N6A 5K8
Sign on Pavlov's door: Knock. Don't ring bell.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: boots@falch.no (Dag Hasvold)
Subject: Mac EPS to EPSI
Organization: Falch Hurtigtrykk as, Oslo, Norway
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 08:02:31 GMT

I need som EPS-files created on the Macintosh over to my Sun SPARC.
Is there any utility that does this?? Ghostscript??

Thanks,

Best Regards,

-- 
<dag>                   Dag Hasvold                 boots@falch.no
------------------------------------------------------------------
falch hurtigtrykk a.s, postboks 130 kalbakken, n-0902 oslo, norway
tel +47 (2) 163040                              fax +47 (2) 162350
From: dsouth@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Dale Southard Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: Mac To Unix PostScript Files
Date: 11 Dec 92 18:04:57 EST
Organization: University of Toledo, Computer Services

In article <1992Dec11.175429.28040@ennews.eas.asu.edu>, scowen@wfpc3.la.asu.edu (Paul A. Scowen) writes:
> In article <1gaegqINNpha@rave.larc.nasa.gov>, wjb@cscsun2.larc.nasa.gov (William J. Bene) writes:
> |> I have ported a postscript file generated by System 7's print option to a Sun 
> |> Workstation and have not been successful downloading to the connected 
> |> LaserWriter IINT. I can view the file using PageView, but when I download it 
> |> it locks the printer up.  

Ported??  :-)

> Could this be caused by the fact that files created on the Mac end comes across
> as one line of text.  Previewers like Ghostscript don't object to this, but
> if the file is very large, the printer might have memory problems.  

Could be. Try using ChunkIt on the PS file at the mac end.  I would also
suggest using the DMM to build a new Mac driver, as DMM's dictionary
tends to be more compatable. (Both should be available from the usual
archive sites) Also remember that, in general, mac files take a lot longer
to print (presumably because the RIP has to chew through all of the
deep majic PS code in the apple dict).

> In a similar vein, does anyone have a simple piece of code, or csh script
> that will replace the ctrl-M's with UNIX <cr>'s?

The macify program will convert both ways as well as do lots of other
misc housekeeping chores. The source is available in sumex-aim.stanford.edu's
unix directory. On the mac end, Apple File Exchange will do the trick
(as will Stuffit, but since AFE is free with the system software...).

-- 
/* Dale Southard Jr.                                   Sr. Rigger      */
/* Department of Chemistry                            AFF/I   SL/I     */
/* University of Toledo                                  D-11216       */
/* dsouth@uoft02.utoledo.edu -- "Just another skydiving grad student." */
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: marcel@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de (Marcel Weiher)
Subject: Re: DPS Color use
Organization: Techn. University of Berlin, Germany
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 10:42:29 GMT

lilleyc@cs.man.ac.uk (Chris Lilley) writes:

>In article <1992Dec15.194635.18632@udel.edu>
>pyrros@braindamaged.cis.udel.edu (Christos T. Pyrros) writes:
>
>>NeXTSTEP 3.0 includes Display PostScript Level 2, with Pantone color matching.
>>It just works! (tm).  It also does CMYK, RGBA, etc.  Which also means that my
>>laser printer, and any dumb device that will accept a bitmap from my machine
>>effectively becomes PostScript Level 2!
>
>Well, sort of. But it will not support all the level 2 features. For
>example, you will not be able to specify a colour in (say) CIE XYZ and
>have it come out that colour on your printer - which is a major reason
>many people want level 2 printers in the first place. What will happen
>is that the DPS interpreter will calculate the RGB values required
>for your _screen_ to display that colour. The printer, on getting
>those values, will print out a colour based on dumb RGB->CMYK
>conversion, not the colour you would have got with a true Level2
>interpreter on your printer.

This is wrong!!  Of course, sending to a Level 1 device will have the
effect you described (although there are ways around that as well),
but the original poster specifically mentioned 'dumb' devices that
will let the NeXT do the rendering.  Once the rendering dictionary
for the printer is set up (with the proper driver), you're all set.

I always use a CIELab test sheet to test my driver.

>Also, I suspect that using DPS to render at, say, 100dpi and then
>sending this lo-res bitmap to a colour imagesetter is not the route to
>high quality ;-)

Why would I let DPS render at 100 dpi?  For CLC-300/500, Cj-10 and the
A1 BubbleJet (all by Canon) I render at 400 dpi in 24 bit color, for
the Seiko PhotoMaker at 300 dpi, also in 24 bit.  The most serious
limit is the license, which sets a cap at 800 dpi, but that would
seem quite enough to me, for anything except imagesetters, and you
can always get an extnded license from Adobe, or work around the limit
(several schemes come to mind immediately..)

>Of course, I am not knocking NeXT in any way by these comments. They
>have done a fine job in getting a DPS together based on Level 2, and
>will hopefully spur other DPS vendors (DEC, SGI, and now Sun) into
>following suit.

Well, you were, even if you didn't intend to.  Apparently they've done
an even finer job than you thought.

Marcel
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
From: zisk@adobe.com (Stephen Zisk)
Subject: Re: Justifying strings, how??
Followup-To: comp.lang.postscript
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 23:07:29 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.011125.8658@trilithon.mpk.ca.us>,
henry@trilithon.mpk.ca.us (Henry McGilton) wrote:
> 
> In article <MEYER.92Dec16131125@ibsen.geomatic.no>  writes:
>     *  I want to be able to justify strings; left, right and middle. How can
>     *  I do this when almost all PostScript fonts are non-fixed fonts? How do
>     *  I calculate where to put the string???
>     *  Anybody have a piece of code, or a general idea of how to do this?
> These kinds of calculations are trivially easy for the trivially
> easy cases.  Following is some PostScript code taken from Chapter
> 3 of ``PostScript by Example'' by Mary Campione and Henry McGilton,
> published by Addison-Wesley.  More fun starts when the strings to be
> justfified are in multiple fonts -- we also discuss this case.
> <PostScript program was here>

This works well, but puts the load onto the PostScript interpreter.
For tests, short jobs, and personal use, this is fine, but if you
are writing a driver with performance in mind, you should at least
consider doing the job on the host. This is often required anyway,
if you are doing line- or page-breaking, hyphenation, or other
sophisticated typography. If this is what you need, look at the
AFM files, which give character widths (and also provide other
goodies like bounding boxes, kerning info, etc). The format is defined
in technote #5004, and there are a bunch of other technotes on text
setting for a driver, all available from the Adobe File Server.

Stephen Zisk (zisk@adobe.com)  Disclaimer: These are my personal views
Adobe Systems Incorporated     and do not represent the position of
Eastern Regional Office        Adobe Systems Incorporated.
24 New England Exec. Park
Burlington, MA 01803           They pay me but they don't muzzle me!
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript