[Gnome-print] [Fwd: Gnome printing issues]

[Chema Celorio <chema celorio com>]

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• From: Mathieu Lacage <mathieu eazel com>
• To: Lauris Kaplinski <lauris helixcode com>
• Cc: gnome-hackers gnome org
• Subject: Re: Gnome printing issues
• Date: 11 Sep 2000 13:11:02 -0700

Lauris Kaplinski <lauris@helixcode.com> writes:

> >    Thus, I now recommend that PDF be used as a default intermediate
> > representation for documents to be printed, and that Ghostscript be
> > used to rasterize the pages for printing to local inkjet printers.
> 
> However good is PDF, I think Gnome shouldn't use it as printing
> meta-format,
> as long as it is controlled by Adobe. File formats, API-s etc. should be
> even more free than programs, IMHO.
> 
> >    There are a number of advantages to using PDF, and no serious
> > disadvantages. The main advantage is flexibility in spooling. In a
> 
> Well, one is. It is proprietary.

Well, so you consider PS to be proprietary ?

PS and PDF are among the most well defined and open file formats available these days.
The fact that implementing PDF 1.4 without getting in the way of a few patents might 
be difficult is an argument but saying that it is bad because one copmany invented it
has no real meaning.

Interoperability is the main argument in favour of PDF.

It is waaay better than the current XPress proprietary format. Ever tried to exchange
page layout data betwwen macs and windows ? Well, you will end with XPress own closed 
format to do so because of font and color problems.

PDF is the only _OPEN_ file format available which allows you to avoid this.
(No, PS does not solve many of those same problems)

It seems however that we have a different definition of what open file format means.
A well defined file format which is used as a standard exchange format is _open_ in 
my mind.

Mathieu 
-- 
Mathieu Lacage <mathieu@eazel.com>

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