A2PS

Section: FSF (1)
Updated: December 2007
Page Index

NAME

a2ps - format files for printing on a PostScript printer

SYNOPSIS

a2ps [OPTION]... [FILE]...

DESCRIPTION

Convert FILE(s) or standard input to PostScript. By default, the output is sent to the default printer. An output file may be specified with -o.

Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. Long options marked with * require a yes/no argument, corresponding short options stand for `yes'.

Tasks:

--version: display version
--help: display this help
--guess: report guessed types of FILES
--which: report the full path of library files named FILES
--glob: report the full path of library files matching FILES
--list=defaults: display default settings and parameters
--list=TOPIC: detailed list on TOPIC (delegations, encodings, features, variables, media, ppd, printers, prologues, style-sheets, user-options)

After having performed the task, exit successfully. Detailed lists may provide additional help on specific features.

Global:

-q, --quiet, --silent: be really quiet
-v, --verbose[=LEVEL]: set verbosity on, or to LEVEL
-=, --user-option=OPTION: use the user defined shortcut OPTION
--debug: enable debugging features
-D, --define=KEY[:VALUE]: unset variable KEY or set to VALUE

Sheets:

-M, --medium=NAME: use output medium NAME
The default behaviour is to use the locale category LC_PAPER to determine the medium to use. Note that this information is obtained from environment variables which may not be set up in non-interactive environments (such as in a cron job).
-r, --landscape: print in landscape mode
-R, --portrait: print in portrait mode
--columns=NUM: number of columns per sheet
--rows=NUM: number of rows per sheet
--major=DIRECTION: first fill (DIRECTION=) rows, or columns
-1, -2, ..., -9: predefined font sizes and layouts for 1.. 9 virtuals
-A, --file-align=MODE: align separate files according to MODE (fill, rank page, sheet, or a number)
-j, --borders*: print borders around columns
--margin[=NUM]: define an interior margin of size NUM

The options -1.. -9 affect several primitive parameters to set up predefined layouts with 80 columns. Therefore the order matters: `-R -f40 -2' is equivalent to `-2'. To modify the layout, use `-2Rf40', or compose primitive options (`--columns', `--font-size' etc.).

Virtual pages:

--line-numbers=NUM: precede each NUM lines with its line number
-C: alias for --line-numbers=5
-f, --font-size=SIZE: use font SIZE (float) for the body text
-L, --lines-per-page=NUM: scale the font to print NUM lines per virtual
-l, --chars-per-line=NUM: scale the font to print NUM columns per virtual
-m, --catman: process FILE as a man page (same as -L66)
-T, --tabsize=NUM: set tabulator size to NUM
--non-printable-format=FMT specify how non-printable chars are printed

Headings:

-B, --no-header: no page headers at all
-b, --header[=TEXT]: set page header
-u, --underlay[=TEXT]: print TEXT under every page
--center-title[=TEXT]: set page title to TITLE
--left-title[=TEXT]: set left and right page title to TEXT
--right-title[=TEXT]
--left-footer[=TEXT]: set sheet footers to TEXT
--footer[=TEXT]
--right-footer[=TEXT]

The TEXTs may use special escapes.

Input:

-a, --pages[=RANGE]: select the pages to print
-c, --truncate-lines*: cut long lines
-i, --interpret*: interpret tab, bs and ff chars
--end-of-line=TYPE: specify the eol char (TYPE: r, n, nr, rn, any)
-X, --encoding=NAME: use input encoding NAME
-t, --title=NAME: set the name of the job
--stdin=NAME: set the name of the input file stdin
--print-anyway*: force binary printing
-Z, --delegate*: delegate files to another application
--toc[=TEXT]: generate a table of content

When delegations are enabled, a2ps may use other applications to handle the processing of files that should not be printed as raw information, e.g., HTML PostScript, PDF etc.

Pretty-printing:

-E, --pretty-print[=LANG]: enable pretty-printing (set style to LANG)
--highlight-level=LEVEL: set pretty printing highlight LEVEL LEVEL can be none, normal or heavy
-g: alias for --highlight-level=heavy
--strip-level=NUM: level of comments stripping

Output:

-o, --output=FILE: leave output to file FILE. If FILE is `-', leave output to stdout.
--version-control=WORD: override the usual version control
--suffix=SUFFIX: override the usual backup suffix
-P, --printer=NAME: send output to printer NAME
-d: send output to the default printer (this is the default behavior)

PostScript:

--prologue=FILE: include FILE.pro as PostScript prologue
--ppd[=KEY]: automatic PPD selection or set to KEY
-n, --copies=NUM: print NUM copies of each page
-s, --sides=MODE: set the duplex MODE (`1' or `simplex', `2' or `duplex', `tumble')
-S, --setpagedevice=K[:V]: pass a page device definition to output
--statusdict=K[:[:]V]: pass a statusdict definition to the output
-k, --page-prefeed: enable page prefeed
-K, --no-page-prefeed: disable page prefeed

By default a2ps is tuned to do what you want to, so trust it. To pretty print the content of the `src' directory and a table of content, and send the result to the printer `lw',

: $ a2ps -P lw --toc src/*

To process the files `sample.ps' and `sample.html' and display the result,

: $ a2ps -P display sample.ps sample.html

To process a mailbox in 4 up,

: $ a2ps -=mail -4 mailbox

To print as a booklet on the default printer, which is Duplex capable,

: $ a2ps -=book paper.dvi.gz -d

News, updates and documentation: visit http://www.gnu.org/software/a2ps/.

AUTHOR

Written by Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana.

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to <bug-a2ps@gnu.org>.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1988-1993 Miguel Santana
Copyright © 1995-2000 Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana
Copyright © 2007- Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana and Masayuki Hatta
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.