Guides · Intermediate
What Is PostScript Printing?
PostScript is a page description language: a way of describing exactly how a page should look so it prints consistently. This guide explains the concept and its role in professional printing.
By PrinterArchive EditorialEdited by PrinterArchive Editorial
Key takeaways
- A page description language describes a page's appearance independently of any one device.
- PostScript helped make printed output predictable across devices.
- It was especially important for professional and publishing workflows.
PostScript is a page description language. Instead of sending a printer a fixed grid of dots, the computer sends a description of the page — text, shapes, and placement — that the printer interprets and renders.
Why a page description language matters
Describing a page rather than a device-specific bitmap makes output more predictable. The same description can render consistently on different compatible devices, which is valuable when appearance must be reliable.
Role in professional printing
PostScript became closely associated with desktop publishing and professional output, where precise, repeatable rendering of type and graphics is essential. It influenced how later printing pipelines were designed.
Relationship to PDF
The idea of describing a fixed page appearance also underlies PDF, which is widely used as a final, portable representation of a document before printing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a page description language?
- A way to describe how a page should look — its text, graphics, and layout — independently of a specific device's pixels.
- Why was PostScript important?
- It made printed output more predictable across compatible devices, which was crucial for desktop publishing and professional printing.
- How does PostScript relate to PDF?
- Both describe a fixed page appearance. PDF is commonly used as a portable final document, building on the same idea of describing a page.
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