Documents with a lot of mathematical content are usually best prepared and printed in the form of PostScript or PDF files (the two are related; see What Is PostScript?). PNG and JPEG images (named with suffix .png or .jpg) are meant for viewing on the computer monitor, but they do not print well.
NOTE: if you have the choice of viewing a document in PDF form, do so: Adobe's free PDF reader (``Acrobat Reader'') is installed on most computers, and will display the document in perfect detail, and can be used to print the document with full PostScript quality, without the special hassles described below.The printing quality of a PostScript file is higher, and the file size smaller, than the file of the corresponding PNG image for a normal printed page. Often, then, pages with mathematical formulae (such as practice exercises and old tests) may be offered on these Web pages as PostScript. These two samples illustrate the different quality (magnified) of a printed formula:
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The original PostScript file is relatively small, yet uses the full laser-printer quality, often 300 points per inch or better |
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Netscape's conversion of a PNG file will be as crude as the image on the computer monitor, no more than 100 ppi, and the print job may take a long time. |
Unfortunately, Netscape cannot display PostScript files by itself -- though it can display/print PDF files, using Acrobat (see above). Unless the computer has a program called "ghostview", it cannot display the PostScript file, so you must view the PNG version (if provided). However, PostScript is generally made for printing anyway, and there is probably a way you can get a high-quality printout from your computer, if there is a good laser printer nearby.
on a Macintosh computer
check to see if the program "Drop*PS" is anywhere on the Mac. (If not, perhaps you can download the freeware yourself from BareBones Software Inc, DropPS-113.hqx.) Drop*PS can be used to print, but not view, PostScript files.
If there is no other PostScript-related application available on the Mac, then make Drop*PS the ``helper application'' to be called up by Netscape to handle PostScript files. To do this, select "Preferences" from Netscape's ``Options'' pull-down menu, look at the page for Helper Applications, scroll down to the line ``application/postscript'' and make Drop*PS the helper application for that type of file.
If you can't operate "Drop*PS" from within Netscape, you can always save the PostScript file to the hard disk (onto the Desktop or into the Workspace folder). Then you can print the file (using Drop*PS), transfer the file to another computer (Fetch), or save it for some other purpose.
on a IBM-PC-compatible computer
Thus, the following may work. To print a PostScript file from Netscape, first save the file onto the PC's hard drive C: by selecting "Save As" from the "File" pull-down menu. (Be careful to note the name of the file, or change it to something simple like C:XXX.PS.) Then, closing the Netscape window temporarily, run the "MSDOS Prompt" program in windows, type
COPY C:XXX.PS LPT3followed by <Return>, and then return to Windows by typing exit <Return>. (Use the appropriate file name, including the directory if not in the main C: directory; e.g., COPY C:\WINDOWS\HW1.PS LPT3) Reopen the Netscape window and continue...
on a Unix computer
lp document.ps