RE: [Groff] pdfmarks

[Ted Harding]

On 17-Oct-00 Stewart C. Russell wrote:
> Has anyone here done work with pdfmarks and groff? I'd like to put some
> watermarks, cropping instructions and keywords in a distilled groff
> file, and was wondering if:
> 
> - anyone had any macros they'd like to share, and/or
> 
> - if there were any problems encountered.

The basic mechanism for including pdfmarks is very simple.

First. doctor your "prologue" file in .../devps to include, near the
beginning, the code

/pdfmark where {pop} {userdict /pdfmark /cleartomark load put} ifelse

The following is where I've put it myself:

/setpacking where {
        pop
        currentpacking
        true setpacking
} if
/pdfmark where {pop} {userdict /pdfmark /cleartomark load put} ifelse
/grops 120 dict dup begin 

Next, whenever you want to plant a pdfmark, simply use the
\X'ps: exec ....' code to do it:

\X'ps: exec [ +++++++++++++ pdfmark'

where the "+++++++++++" denotes the content of the pdfmark.

Now the fun starts. You need to convert groff's PostScript output into
PDF using a converter which will do a proper job with pdfmarks. I believe
Adobe's Distiller will always do a proper job; at any rate, on those
occasions when I have asked Distiller-enabled friends to do it for
me, it has never failed.

Other than that, 'ps2pdf' in the latest ghostscript now does a very
reasonable job with most variants of pdfmark, I understand.

So also, with some gaps, does the latest version of 'pstill'.

In both cases, however, I have had pdfmarks which were not converted
properly. Your mileage may vary.

Good luck,
Ted.

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Date: 17-Oct-00                                       Time: 15:01:11
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