[texhax] TeX -> PostScript, but in a resolution-independent manner

[zsdc]

Karl Berry wrote:

>    But if DVI files don't include the glyph shapes, how can they be
>    really device-independent? 
>
>They are device independent in the sense that the output from TeX does
>not depend on the eventual output device.
>
Thanks. Now I understand what the DVI files really are.

>    What if I send my DVI file to someone, who has slightly different
>    fonts installed? Wouldn't I get different results then?
>
>Certainly.  In fact, this happens all the time -- consider a write/white
>printer vs. write/black.  Not to mention a printer vs. a monochrome
>display vs. a color display.  All will show different pixels.  So DVI
>files cannot be device independent in the sense that every device will
>show exactly the same pixels, that doesn't make sense.
>
Yes, of course, now I understand that. The devices themselves are 
different so nothing can be perfectly device-independent...

>Obviously it would be possible to configure a DVI driver such that a `B'
>got output for character 65 instead of an `A' (in cmr10, let's say).
>DVI format cannot prevent stupidity, it can only make excellent results
>possible :).
>
And they really are excellent. When I found TeX I had no typesetting 
background at all, the whole experience with printing text I got was 
using Microsoft Word and similar products. The results I get now are 
truely amazing. I can make my own documents looking just like Donald 
Knuth's The Art of Computer Programming, which is something still hard 
to believe...

>You might consider joining GUST (http://www.gust.org.pl/) or TUG
>(tug.org) or some other user group.  One of the benefits is software
>cd's, namely "TeX Live".  The next version should be getting produced in
>early August, and it will include the latest teTeX.  (All the software
>is also freely available over the Internet, but since you said you
>couldn't download it ...)
>
Tomas Rokicki was kind enough to aks me for my test files and he has 
already told me what I was doing wrong. I was using a non-standard font 
size, which caused dvips to use bitmap fonts instead of Type 1 even with 
-Pcmz switch. So the problem is already solved. But I think it could be 
a good idea to join GUST anyway. Thanks.

-zsdc.