Re: Distributing Postcript Files for Viewing, Bounced E-mail

[Kat Nagel/MasterWork <katnagel -at- EZNET -dot- NET>]

>Kat Nagel describes how (s)he distributed PostScript files to Mac users.
>This approach won't work with PCs. The majority of PC users don't have
>access to PostScript. Some sort of viewer would have to be distributed and I
>don't know of one in the public domain or available, even for a fee, for
>joining on to the file to be distributed.


Actually, I distributed the locked PostScript files to 2 Mac users, 3 PC
users, and 1 UNIX user.  The people who had access to FrameMaker (the
application I used to create the PostScript files) could open and view the
documents on any of the three platforms.  The rest had to print them out
and do their reviews from hardcopy.

Fortunately, all of them had access to PostScript printers (LaserJets or
experimental Xerox magic boxes). The only inconvenience involved the type
of disk format that was required.  The PC and UNIX folks needed
DOS-formatted disks.  The Mac users could read either Mac or DOS disks.
Oh, and I had to keep the filenames to 8 characters or the DOS machines
choked.   But as long as I kept those restrictions in mind, I could easily
exchange files with all of them.

This wouldn't be an ideal solution for everybody, especially for huge
documents and frequent large-scale distributions, but it worked nicely for
us.


@Kat_____ Kat Nagel
          MasterWork Consulting Services     Rochester, NY
          LIFE1 (techwriting/docdesign) katnagel -at- eznet -dot- net
          LIFE2 (vocal chamber music)    PlaynSong -at- aol -dot- com