Spana  SPANA / Printing Diagrams
 Calc.  SED & PREDOM / Plot-files

Convert diagrams to PostScript

Plot-files may be converted into PostScript with the PlotPS program:

PostScript files may be printed (on PostScript printers) or converted to pdf-format. If you choose to create an encapsulated PostScript file, it may be inserted in a publication (for example into a MS-Word document) and then printed. PostScript and encapsulated PostScript files have names ending with “ps” and “eps” respectively. Note that some word processors are not able to display encapsulated PostScript images on the screen (they only show a rectangle where the picture will be placed, the picture appears only on the printed page).

PostScript files may be viewed under Windows with the following software:

   GSview  GSview  with  GhostS  GhostScript

PostScript files are plain text files: they maybe changed with any text editor. Because PostScript is a kind of programming language, by editing the files it is possible to:

See also a short description of the PostScript commands.

The ps- or eps-files created by SPANA (i.e., by the PlotPS program) contain two parts:

Functions and variables can be divided in two groups: those dealing with text output, and those related to line drawing. Comments in the “Prolog” describe how the functions defined by PlotPS may be used, and comments are written by PlotPS in the “drawing” section indicating what part of the drawing is being performed (axis, curves, labels on curves, heading, etc). See the description of some PostScript commands

Example using the functions and variables defined in the “Prolog” created by PlotPS, the following text:

0 0 0 setrgbcolor _sn Lt3 1100 1200 Mv
1220 1200 Ln 1220 1250 Ln
1100 1250 Ln 1100 1200 Ln
1160 1225 Mv 25 _setSize (25\260C) cShow

(added before the last “stroke grestore end” lines) will add a box (1.2×0.5 cm) placed 11 cm to the right of the left margin, and 12 cm above the bottom margin. The Lt3 command makes the box to be drawn with a dotted line. The box has the text “25°C” centred inside it.