A2PS(1) GNU a2ps 4.15.6 A2PS(1)
User Commands User Commands
March 2024
NAME
a2ps - format files for printing on a PostScript printer
SYNOPSIS
a2ps [,OPTION/]... [,FILE/]...
DESCRIPTION
Convert FILE(s) or standard input to PostScript. By default, the
output is sent to the default printer. An output file may be
specified with -o.
Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options
too. Long options marked with `*' require a yes/no argument,
corresponding short options stand for `yes'.
Tasks:
--version
display version
--help
display this help
--guess
report guessed types of FILES
--which
report the full path of library files named FILES
--glob
report the full path of library files matching FILES
--list=,defaults/
display default settings and parameters
--list=,TOPIC/
detailed list on TOPIC (delegations, encodings, features,
variables, media, ppd, printers, prologues, style-sheets,
user-options)
After having performed the task, exit successfully. Detailed lists
may provide additional help on specific features.
Global:
-q, --quiet, --silent
be really quiet
-v, --verbose[=,LEVEL/]
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set verbosity on, or to LEVEL
-=, --user-option=,OPTION/
use the user defined shortcut OPTION
--debug
enable debugging features
-D, --define=,KEY[/:VALUE]
unset variable KEY or set to VALUE
Sheets:
-M, --medium=,NAME/
use output medium NAME
-r, --landscape
print in landscape mode
-R, --portrait
print in portrait mode
--columns=,NUM/
number of columns per sheet
--rows=,NUM/
number of rows per sheet
--major=,DIRECTION/
first fill (DIRECTION=) rows, or columns
-1, -2, ..., -9
predefined font sizes and layouts for 1..9 virtuals
-A, --file-align=,MODE/
align separate files according to MODE (fill, rank page, sheet,
or a number)
-j, --borders*
print borders around columns
--margin[=,NUM/]
define an interior margin of size NUM
The options -1.. -9 affect several primitive parameters to set up
predefined layouts with 80 columns. Therefore the order matters: `-R
-f40 -2' is equivalent to `-2'. To modify the layout, use `-2Rf40',
or compose primitive options (`--columns', `--font-size' etc.).
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March 2024
Virtual pages:
--line-numbers=,NUM/
precede each NUM lines with its line number
-C alias for --line-numbers=,5/
-f, --font-size=,SIZE/
use font SIZE (float) for the body text
-L, --lines-per-page=,NUM/
scale the font to print NUM lines per virtual
-l, --chars-per-line=,NUM/
scale the font to print NUM columns per virtual
-m, --catman
process FILE as a man page (same as -L66)
-T, --tabsize=,NUM/
set tabulator size to NUM
--non-printable-format=,FMT/ specify how non-printable chars are
printed
Headings:
-B, --no-header
no page headers at all
-b, --header[=,TEXT/]
set page header
-u, --underlay[=,TEXT/]
print TEXT under every page
--center-title[=,TEXT/]
set page title to TITLE
--left-title[=,TEXT/]
set left and right page title to TEXT
--right-title[=,TEXT/]
--left-footer[=,TEXT/]
set sheet footers to TEXT
--footer[=,TEXT/]
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March 2024
--right-footer[=,TEXT/]
The TEXTs may use special escapes.
Input:
-a, --pages[=,RANGE/]
select the pages to print
-c, --truncate-lines*
cut long lines
-i, --interpret*
interpret tab, bs and ff chars
--end-of-line=,TYPE/
specify the eol char (TYPE: r, n, nr, rn, any)
-X, --encoding=,NAME/
use input encoding NAME
-t, --title=,NAME/
set the name of the job
--stdin=,NAME/
set the name of the input file stdin
--print-anyway*
force binary printing
-Z, --delegate*
delegate files to another application
--toc[=,TEXT/]
generate a table of content
When delegations are enabled, a2ps may use other applications to
handle the processing of files that should not be printed as raw
information, e.g., HTML PostScript, PDF etc.
Pretty-printing:
-E, --pretty-print[=,LANG/]
enable pretty-printing (set style to LANG)
--highlight-level=,LEVEL/
set pretty printing highlight LEVEL LEVEL can be none, normal or
heavy
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-g alias for --highlight-level=,heavy/
--strip-level=,NUM/
level of comments stripping
Output:
-o, --output=,FILE/
leave output to file FILE. If FILE is `-', leave output to
stdout.
--version-control=,WORD/
override the usual version control
--suffix=,SUFFIX/
override the usual backup suffix
-P, --printer=,NAME/
send output to printer NAME
-d send output to the default printer (this is the default behavior)
PostScript:
--prologue=,FILE/
include FILE.pro as PostScript prologue
--ppd[=,KEY/]
automatic PPD selection or set to KEY
-n, --copies=,NUM/
print NUM copies of each page
-s, --sides=,MODE/
set the duplex MODE (`1' or `simplex', `2' or `duplex', `tumble')
-S, --setpagedevice=,K[/:V]
pass a page device definition to output
--statusdict=,K[/:[:]V]
pass a statusdict definition to the output
-k, --page-prefeed
enable page prefeed
-K, --no-page-prefeed
disable page prefeed
By default a2ps is tuned to do what you want to, so trust it. To
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pretty print the content of the `src' directory and a table of
content, and send the result to the printer `lw',
$ a2ps -P lw --toc src/*
To process the files `sample.ps' and `sample.html' and display the
result,
$ a2ps -P display sample.ps sample.html
To process a mailbox in 4 up,
$ a2ps -=mail -4 mailbox
To print as a booklet on the default printer, which is duplex capable,
$ a2ps -=book paper.dvi.gz -d
FILES
a2ps reads several files before the command line options. In order,
they are:
1. The system configuration file (usually /usr/local/etc/a2ps.cfg)
unless you have defined the environment variable A2PS_CONFIG, in
which case a2ps reads the file it points to;
2. the user's home configuration file ($HOME/.a2ps/a2psrc)
3. the file .a2psrc in the current directory.
See the info manual for more information, including a description
of the configuration file format.
AUTHOR
Written by Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana, and Reuben Thomas.
REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to: bug-a2ps@gnu.org
GNU a2ps home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/a2ps/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright c 2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU
GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
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March 2024
SEE ALSO
a2ps(1), card(1), fixps(1), pdiff(1).
The full documentation for a2ps is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If
the info and a2ps programs are properly installed at your site, the
command
info a2ps
should give you access to the complete manual.
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