Update to PPD Specification

Version 4.3
Adobe® Developer Support

Technical Note #5645

29 April 1997

Adobe Systems Incorporated

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PN LPS5645
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 Contents

1 Introduction 5
2 *FastImage 6
3 Resource Entries 7
*Resource 7
*categoryNameInstance 8
*Resource and *categoryNameInstance combinations 9
4 *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 9
5 *NonUIConstraints 10
6 *Font 10

iii
iv Contents 29 Apr 97
 Update to PPD Specification
Version 4.3

1 Introduction

This document amends the PostScript® Printer Description File Format

Specification Version 4.3 (PPD Spec 4.3) so that drivers and applications can
work more effectively with certain products containing PostScript language
versions 2017 and 3010. PostScript language version 3010 is defined in the
Supplement: PostScript Language Reference Manual, For Version 3010, and
similarly for PostScript language version 2017.

This amendment does not introduce any new required keywords. All PPD
files compliant with PPD Spec 4.3 will continue to work with drivers,
applications, and plug-ins that have been modified according to this
document. PPD files compliant with this updated specification will continue
to use
*PPD-Adobe: "4.3"
*FormatVersion: "4.3"

Three entries are introduced—*FastImage, resources, and

*GuaranteedMaxSeparations. *NonUIConstraints is extended to work with
*GuaranteedMaxSeparations. *Font is extended to work with the charset
named ExtendedRoman and the encoding named Win1250.

The new optional *FastImage UI entry is associated with the HalftoneMode

user parameter, introduced in PostScript language version 3010 as an
optional feature. This entry is recognized by the Windows AdobePS 4.2 and
Macintosh AdobePS 8.5 printer drivers.

Resource-related keywords allow specification of both actual and virtual

resource categories and instances. This will initially indicate whether in-RIP
trapping is supported. In-RIP trapping is an optional feature of PostScript
language versions 2017 and later. These entries will be recognized by certain
Adobe plug-ins.

5
 The new optional *GuaranteedMaxSeparations entry is associated with the
MaxSeparations page device parameter, introduced in PostScript language
version 3010. This will be recognized by a future release of Adobe
PageMaker.

2 *FastImage
UI
*FastImage modeOption: "invocation"

*DefaultFastImage: modeOption

*?FastImage: "query"

*FastImage is similar to *OutputMode except that it is specifically for the

fast image processing feature introduced in PostScript language version
3010, and controlled by the new HalftoneMode user parameter. This feature
must be thoroughly understood for a particular product before that product’s
*FastImage entry is written.

This feature is only applicable to monochrome products; the fast image

keywords should be omitted on products incapable of a monochrome-only
mode. OEMs with products capable of both monochrome and color modes
may want to constrain the *FastImage choices according to *ColorModel
choices, via *UIConstraints.

The currently valid modeOptions are:

• None or False—No fast image processing will be done by either the host
or the product.

• 1 or True—The host may optionally produce images optimized for speed

with insignificant loss of quality. The product may override any requests to
change the halftone, and may process images using the Adobe fast image
feature (HalftoneMode) with no significant loss of quality.

• 2—The host behaves the same as for modeOption 1. The product behaves
the same except that it should process images faster with a possible minor
loss of quality, on average.

The following is sample code for the PickOne variant:

*OpenUI *FastImage/Showing Images: PickOne

*DefaultFastImage: None
*OrderDependency: 90 AnySetup *FastImage
*FastImage None/Document Settings: "
<</HalftoneMode 0>> setuserparams
currenthalftone sethalftone"
*End

6 Update to PPD Specification Version 4.3 29 Apr 97

 *FastImage 1/Optimized for Quality: "
<</HalftoneMode 1>> setuserparams
currenthalftone sethalftone"
*End
*FastImage 2/Optimized for Performance: "
<</HalftoneMode 2>> setuserparams
currenthalftone sethalftone"
*End
*?FastImage: "
<<0 (None) 1 1 2 2>>
currentuserparams /HalftoneMode get get = flush"
*End
*CloseUI: *FastImage

The value for *DefaultFastImage should reflect the value of the

HalftoneMode user parameter when the product is first initialized.

If output from HalftoneMode 2 is not supported or if the OEM wishes to hide

it from the user, but HalftoneModes 0 and 1 are supported then a Boolean
*OpenUI style may be best, with an *OpenUI translation string such as
“Faster, uniform images?”.

A product is entitled to have HalftoneMode 1 mean that a product-specific

halftone is imposed on the job. If such a product also allows HalftoneMode 0
and 2 then the above sample code would typically be used.

If a product has HalftoneMode 1 mean that a product-specific halftone is

imposed on the job, and HalftoneMode 0 is supported but HalftoneMode 2 is
not, then another UI entry such as *OutputMode should be used.

Adobe’s Windows® 95 printer driver AdobePS 4.2 and Adobe’s Macintosh®

printer driver AdobePS 8.5 recognize the *FastImage keyword and optimize
for speed with insignificant loss of quality for modeOptions 1 and 2.

3 Resource Entries

The fact that certain resources exist within a product may be specified with
the *Resource and *categoryNameInstance keywords.

These keywords are optional. Omitting these keywords says nothing about
whether unmentioned PostScript language resource categories or instances
exist.

3.1 *Resource

*Resource categoryName: Implicit | Regular | Virtual

3 Resource Entries 7
 This entry declares that the categoryName resource category applies to this
product and that the PPD file may also contain *categoryNameInstance
keyword(s). For example, if categoryName were TrappingType then
*TrappingTypeInstance keywords may follow.

The currently defined values for *Resource are:

• Regular—The product has the regular resource category named

categoryName. The PostScript operator findresource is meaningful for
this category.

• Implicit—The product has an implicit resource category named

categoryName. The PostScript operator findresource is not meaningful
for this category; resourceforall and resourcestatus are. Implicit
resource instance names or numbers represent some built-in capability of
the product.

• Virtual—The product does not have a resource category named

categoryName. Virtual resource instance names or numbers represent
some built-in capability of the product that is not otherwise conveniently
representable.

*Resource may not appear within *OpenUI and *CloseUI.

The absence of a particular *Resource entry says nothing about the existence
of that category on the product. Features reflected in existing PPD file entries,
such as *Font, should continue to use those PPD file entries.

3.2 *categoryNameInstance

*categoryNameInstance instanceName: “...”

This means that categoryName has been declared in a *Resource entry and
that instanceName is the name of an instance for this category. Because the
resource may be Virtual, the category and instance may not be visible from a
PostScript job.

Note instanceName is restricted to the syntax for PPD option keywords. This
means that instanceName may not contain special characters, even though
they are legal in a PostScript program.

The meaning of “...” is undefined. Parsers should accept a normal

InvocationValue here, but its use is undefined. PPD files should supply an
empty InvocationValue, “”, to avoid undefined effects. A future version of the
PPD File Format Specification may define a meaning.

8 Update to PPD Specification Version 4.3 29 Apr 97

 The absence of a particular entry says nothing about the existence of the
categoryName category or its instance named instanceName. Features
reflected in existing PPD file entries, such as *Font, should continue to use
those PPD entries.

Comment This style was chosen over more compact representations because many PPD
parsers already recognize this style.

3.3 *Resource and *categoryNameInstance combinations

The following combination is understood by certain plug-ins. This

combination should be included in PPD files that may be used with such
plug-ins.

3.3.1 TrappingType

The entries below indicate that the product supports in-RIP trapping as
defined in the Supplements for PostScript language versions 2017 and later.
Subsequent products may have Implicit category TrappingType with several
instance numbers. These particular PPD file entries are recognized by certain
plug-ins that will be available in 1997.

*Resource TrappingType: Virtual

*TrappingTypeInstance 1001: ""

4 *GuaranteedMaxSeparations

*GuaranteedMaxSeparations number: "..."

*DefaultGuaranteedMaxSeparations: number

*?GuaranteedMaxSeparations: "query"

This entry indicates the maximum number of selectable separations that are
guaranteed to be supported on all configurations. In other words, this is the
smallest value of the MaxSeparations page device parameter among all
available configurations. *NonUIConstraints may be used to affect the
applicable value.

Several *GuaranteedMaxSeparations keywords may be supplied. Some of

these choices may be unavailable due to the effect of *NonUIConstraints
entries. The largest number from the available choices indicates the
maximum number of selectable separations that are guaranteed to be
supported in available configurations.

For example, a product may support MaxSeparations of 3 for all

configurations except duplex or 11x17 paper, when it supports only 1. The
following example illustrates this situation.

4 *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 9
 *DefaultGuaranteedMaxSeparations: 3
*GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3: ""
*GuaranteedMaxSeparations 1: ""
*?GuaranteedMaxSeparations: "
currentpagedevice /MaxSeparations get ="
*End

*NonUIConstraints: *Duplex DuplexTumble *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3

*NonUIConstraints: *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3 *Duplex DuplexTumble
*NonUIConstraints: *Duplex DuplexNoTumble *GuaranteedMaxSeparations
3
*NonUIConstraints: *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3 *Duplex
DuplexNoTumble
*NonUIConstraints: *PageSize Tabloid *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3
*NonUIConstraints: *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3 *PageSize Tabloid
*NonUIConstraints: *PageRegion Tabloid *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3
*NonUIConstraints: *GuaranteedMaxSeparations 3 *PageRegion Tabloid

If only one value for *GuaranteedMaxSeparations is applicable for a

product, then only *DefaultGuaranteedMaxSeparations may be supplied.
Here is an example.

*DefaultGuaranteedMaxSeparations: 2

If this entry is omitted for a product compliant with PostScript language

version 3010 or later a *DefaultGuaranteedMaxSeparations value of 1 is
implied. If this entry is omitted for a product compliant with PostScript
language version 2017 or prior, a value of 0 is implied.

This entry uses the UI style solely to take advantage of *NonUIConstraints

entries. Since this entry does not indicate a user selectable feature, it should
not appear between *OpenUI and *CloseUI.

The meaning of "..." is undefined. Parsers should accept a normal

InvocationValue here, but its use is undefined. PPD files should supply an
empty InvocationValue, "", to avoid undefined effects. A future version of the
PPD File Format Specification may define a meaning.

5 *NonUIConstraints

The *NonUIConstraints keyword has been extended so it may be used with

*GuaranteedMaxSeparations.

6 *Font

The *Font keyword has been extended to allow a new encoding name and a
new charset name. This allows use of fonts designed to work with Central
European alphabets. The AdobePS 4.2 driver understands these.

10 Update to PPD Specification Version 4.3 29 Apr 97

Win1250 may be specified as encoding. This corresponds to “code page
1250” described on pages 453-459 of Developing International Software for
Windows 95 and Windows NT, by Nadine Kano, Microsoft Press, © 1995,
ISBN 1-55615-940-8.

ExtendedRoman may be specified as charset. This is the combination of:

• Standard charset

• the characters mentioned in the Win1250 encoding

• certain other characters

The precise definition of ExtendedRoman is in the Supplement: PostScript

Language Reference Manual, For Version 3010.

6 *Font 11
12 Update to PPD Specification Version 4.3 29 Apr 97