Exporting PDF pages as PostScript or EPS
File > Export in PDF by Zaweba makes PostScript and EPS files from the pages as 300 dpi images, for older print workflows and programs that need them.
PostScript is the page description language that came before PDF, and EPS is its single-page cousin used for placing graphics in other documents. Both are less common than they were, but they still turn up. Some older print workflows, typesetting systems and design programs ask for them, and a few printers and print shops prefer them.
PDF by Zaweba covers that need with File > Export > PostScript and EPS. Both make files from the pages as 300 dpi images.
What the export produces
The pages are drawn at 300 dpi and wrapped up as PostScript or EPS. That resolution is the usual standard for printing, so a page exported this way prints cleanly at its normal size.
Because the pages are images, the result is dependable. The page looks the same wherever it is opened, fonts cannot go missing and complex transparency or effects cannot be misread by an older program. The trade-off is that the text is no longer text and vector shapes are no longer vectors. The page becomes a high-quality picture inside a PostScript wrapper.
When to use PostScript
Use PostScript when a system or service asks for it. Some older print queues, production systems and archive tools accept PostScript but not PDF. A multi-page document can be sent this way, one page after another in a single file.
It is also handy when a printer driver or print shop's workflow has trouble with a particular PDF. An image-based PostScript file sidesteps most of the things that confuse older processors.
When to use EPS
EPS is for placing a single page or graphic inside another document. Older layout and design programs, and some typesetting systems, accept EPS where they would not accept PDF. A chart, a logo page or a diagram exported as EPS can be dropped into such a document and printed.
Preparing pages for print export
Prepare the pages first. Crop to the part you want, especially for EPS, so the graphic does not carry a whole page of white space. Delete pages you do not need before a PostScript export, so the file holds only what the printer should print.
Check the size of the result. Images at 300 dpi make larger files than a typical PDF with real text and vectors. For a long document that may matter if you are uploading or emailing it.
If the receiving system also accepts PDF, consider sending the PDF instead. It keeps text searchable and graphics sharp at any zoom, and is usually smaller.
Where it fits among the exports
PostScript and EPS sit beside the picture exports, which also produce images of pages. If you just need an image file, PNG, JPEG or TIFF at a resolution of your choice may suit better, since more programs open them. If you need a vector picture, SVG keeps shapes sharp at any size.
Choose PostScript or EPS when the destination asks for them by name.
Not for editing, not for shrinking
Do not use these exports to edit content. Text inside an image-based EPS cannot be changed in the program you place it in. Make any text changes in the PDF first.
Do not expect them to be smaller or sharper than the PDF. They are made for compatibility, not quality or size.
For the systems that still need them, PDF by Zaweba makes PostScript and EPS straightforward, without any other program on your PC.
