MSRI Graphics School - Lecture 1 on PostScript

References

Basic commands

Stopping and starting
  • %! Correct start of every PS file
  • % Comment line
  • showpage Usually the correct end to every page
Building and drawing paths
  • newpath Start of every path
  • * * moveto Starts a path segment
  • * * lineto Continues a path segment
  • stroke Draws a path in the current color
  • fill Fills a path in the current color
  • * * * * * arc Builds an arc in positive direction
  • * * * * * arcn ... negative ...
  • closepath The correct way to end a closed path
Displaying stuff
  • = Displays and removes from stack
  • == Displays more and removes from stack
  • stack Displays the whole stack without removing stuff
Mathematical functions
  • * * add
  • * * sub
  • * * mul
  • * * div
  • * neg
  • * * atan y x on the stack is replaced by the angle of the point (x, y)
  • * * exp
  • * cos
  • * sin
Coordinate changes
  • * * scale
  • * * translate
  • * rotate
Other graphics state changes
    * setlinewidth Sets the current linewidth in the current units
  • gsave Makes a new copy of the current graphics state and puts it on the graphics stack
  • grestore Removes the current graphics state from the graphics stack
  • * setgray Sets the current color to a tone of gray
  • * * * setrgbcolor Sets RGB components
Definitions, local and global
  • /s * def Basic assignment of a value
  • * * exch Exchanges top two elements of the stack
  • /proc { 1 dict begin /x exch def ... end } def The correct way to obtain local variables inside a procedure
  • * { ... } repeat Repeats the procedure in between