PostScript for All

There's no match for the smooth, clean, high-quality printout you get from a Post-Script laser printer. Unfortunately, there's no match for the $3,000 price tag either, so casual Amiga desktop publishers are usually forced to settle for jagged output or spend $2-$5 per page to have their DTP files printed at a service bureau.

Now comes a cheaper solution from Pixelations (P.O. Box 547, Northboro, Massachusetts 01532: 508-393-7866), PixelScript 1.1 ($149, formerly known as PrintScript) is a software-based PostScript interpreter that runs on your Amiga. It takes PostScript output files from any Amiga DTP program and prints them on non-PostScript printers.

The advantage of using PixelScript is that you get smooth, clean fonts and line-drawing, free of the "jaggies" associated with bitmap output. But the best thing about the program is that it will output to any Preferences-supported printer. You can put together a printer setup with PixelScript and the Hewlett-Packard DeskJet Plus printer for well under $1,000 that creates output almost indistinguishable from that of a $5,000 laser printer. Output on a 24-pin Panasonic 1124 at 180 dpi is excellent, and 9-pin output is good enough for draft work.

Two things you'll need to really take advantage of PixelScript are time and memory. Single pages take from about ten minutes to just over half an hour to print. And while the program will run with only one megabyte of memory, it's much happier with two megs or more.

Pixclations should be shipping PixelScript 1.1 by the time you read this. The update adds a full intuition interface, automated installation. ARexx capability, Encapsulated PostScript capability, and support for City Desk 2.0 PageStream, and WordPerfect.

PrintScript owners should contact the company for upgrade details.