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 multiple 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 picture will be 
scaled to obtain the desired size. 
The program uses a bruteforce 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 blackandwhite 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: 
Giventhe 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. 
Givenascale factor,itderivesthe 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 processors 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 previewthe output results of poster and/or to (re)print individual output pages, you should use a 
postscript previewer likeghostview(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' specification in the input file header. 
m <box> 
Specify the desired media size to print on. See belowfor <box>. 
The default is set at compile time, being A4 in the standard package. 
p <box> 
Specify the poster size. See belowfor <box>. Since poster will autonomously choose for rotation, 
always specify a `portrait' poster size (i.e. higher then wide). 
If you don'tgive the s 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 output poster size. So don'tspecify both s and p. 
Default is deriving the scale factor to fit a givenposter size. 
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POSTER(1) POSTER(1) 
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 coverthe nonprintable 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 out 
put 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. Howeversome 
might find this more convenient.) 
Default is 0. 
o <outputfile> 
Specify the name of the file to write the output into. 
(Only added for those poor people who cannot specify output redirection from their command line due 
to a silly OS.) 
Default is writing to standard output. 
The <box> mentioned above isaspecification 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>*<number> 
<offset> = +<number>,<number> 
<unit> = <medianame> or <distancename> 
Manyinternational media names are recognised by the program, in upper and lower case, and can be short 
ened to their first fewcharacters, as long as unique. Forinstance `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 largemedia 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 
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POSTER(1) POSTER(1) 
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. 
poster v mLegalp1x1m w10% infile.ps >outfile 
PROBLEMS & QUESTIONS 
Iget 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 interference patterns on the output. The solution is to provide poster with an exact scal 
ing factor (with the s option), chosen as an integer.Ifinteger 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 giveninput picture? 
Ye s, for this purpose you can define both the size (width and height) and offset (from left and bottom) of a 
windowonthe 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 coor 
dinate 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 areempty 
The major cause for poster not to work correctly,isgiving it postscript files which don'tconform to proper 
'eps' behaviour.Try whether your application (or printer driver) cannot generate real 'encapsulated 
postscript'. 
If I ask for a 50x50cm poster,italways generates something bigger 
Ye s, probably.When specifying a desired output size with the `p' option, poster first determines an array 
of sheets to coversuch 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.Ifyou want an exact output size, 
specify the scaling factor yourself with the `s' option (and omit the `p'). 
Iwant 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. Tokeep the original margin, specify a `i' option with as argument the 
papersize on which the original document was formatted (such as `iA4'). Alternatively specify a smaller 
scale factor (with s) or an explicit newmargin (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, t heir left and bottom 
cutmargin. 
Inlefttoright and bottomtotop order,glue the right (and top) cutmargin and stick the right (and upper) 
neighbouring page on top of that. 
Turn the gluedtogether 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 
Forpostscript level2 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: 
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POSTER(1) POSTER(1) 
the media size. 
This is required for all printers I knowtoget correct behaviour on different media/picture sizes. 
duplexing off. 
Some printers will otherwise perform doubleside printing by default. Clearly that is not what you want 
to print a poster. 
manual media feed. 
This is givenonly when poster is giventhe `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 submit 
ting your job through a multiuser networking and spooling environment. 
These settings cause proper device behaviour,without the need to manually interact with the printer set 
tings, and has been here locally tested to work on devices likethe 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 output 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 WesleyPubl comp., 1990. 
It will copyany `%%Document...'line from the input file DSC header to its own header output. This is 
used here in particular for required nonresident fonts. 
Howeverthe copy(s) of the input file included in the output, are stripped from all lines starting with a `%', 
since theytend to disturb our `ghostview' previewer and takeuseless space anyhow. 
SEE ALSO 
ghostview(1) 
CONTRIBUTED BY 
Jos van Eijndhoven 
24 August, 1995 
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