This document is obsolete and is retained for reference purposes only. It will not be maintained. The information contained should also be considered obsolete.

An Install Sheild package, available for non-commercial use only, has been created to install both Ghostscript and Redmon. Refer to the external DB2000 downloads page for more information: http://www.accurecord.com/usps/outgoing/DB2000.htm

GhostScript and RedMon

GhostScript provides both an interpreter for PostScript (TM) and Portable Document Format, and a set of procedures (the GhostScript library) that implement the graphics and filtering (data compression / decompression / conversion) capabilities that appear in the PostScript language and in PDF.

The RedMon port monitor redirects a special type of printer port to another program. In this case, it is used with GhostScript as a PDF writer.

Portable Document Format, or PDF, is sometimes confused with "Acrobat", Adobe's file reading and creating products. Remember that "Acrobat Reader" is the "free" program, usually bundled on most new computers, that you need to display PDF files. Acrobat and Distiller are used to create PDF files, and these are not free.

Complete instructions, including licensing, are available on the GhostScript and RedMon web sites, listed in these abbreviated instructions.

GhostScript is distributed with a license called the Aladdin Free Public License that allows free use, copying, and distribution by end users, but does not allow commercial distribution.

Note that this procedure has been tested out in MS Windows 95, 98 and XP. However, in XP, some of the navigating "tabs" have been replaced with "buttons", and vice versa.
1. Download.

You will need to download 2 files. Both file names and web page URLs are given below, and are current as of 8 April 2003.
gs800w32.exe - http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
redmon17.zip - http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/redmon/

2. Install.

Install GhostScript by finding the gs800w32.exe file just downloaded and executing it. Answer any questions by accepting the defaults provided.

However, change the install directory to:
c:\gs

Using Winzip or PKzip, install RedMon by opening the redmon17.zip file and extracting its contents.

However, extract the files to:
c:\gs\redmon

Now install RedMon by going to the above directory, and running the setup.exe program.

Just answer "OK" at the final dialog box.

3. Adding a Printer.

Use the "Add Printer" wizard to add a new "Local" printer.

Select "Apple" (for manufacturer) and "Apple LaserWriter II NT" (the model) for the new printer, and connect it to "LPT1:".

Selecting "LPT1:" is temporary and will be changed when a new port is created.

Change the name of this new printer to "GhostScript Printer".

Do not make this the "default" printer, and do not print the recommended test page.

4. Configuring the Printer.

Open the "Printers" control panel applet. Chose the newly created printer.

Bring up the printer's "Properties" (by using right-click) and select the "Details" tab.

Select "Add Port...".

Select the "Other" type, and the select "Redirected Port" from the list of choices.

Name the new port "RPT1:".

Select "OK" to create the new port.

Back on the "Details" tab, change the "LPT1:" selection to the newly created "RPT1:".

Select "Port Settings..." and set the "program" to:
c:\gs\gs8.00\bin\gswin32c.exe

Set the "arguments" to:
@c:\gs\pdfwrite.rsp -sOutputFile="%1" -c save pop -f -

Do not forget the trailing - after the -f on this line.

Change the output to "Prompt for filename".

Leave the "run" and "delay" settings at thier default values.

Select "OK" to accept the changes to the port settings.

Select "Spool Settings...".

Ensure "bi-directional support" is "disabled".

Select "OK" to accept the changes to the spool settings.

5. Device Settings.

You must now create a file using your favorite text editor.

Go to the installation directory c:\gs.

Create a new text file named:
pdfwrite.rsp

Edit this file and include the following 6 lines:
-Ic:\gs\gs8.00\lib;c:\gs\fonts
-sDEVICE=pdfwrite
-r600
-dNOPAUSE
-dSAFER
-sPAPERSIZE=letter

Do not add spaces, tabs, newlines. Enter exactly as shown. Save the file and exit your editor.

6. Using GhostScript.

To your applications, the GhostScript printer looks just like a regular printer. When you print your document, you are presented a dialog box that has a pull-down list with all your printers. Just select this new GhostScript printer. You will be able to select a directory and file name for the output file just before GhostScript and RedMon are ready to write the output to the file.

When you actually go through and print a file, it will not go to a real printer, but to a program (the redirected port), which in turn will send all the output to the GhostScript program, which will convert everything to a PDF file.

You can even set this new GhostScript printer to be your "default" printer using the "Printers" control panel applet.
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