1A2PS(1)                               FSF                              A2PS(1)
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NAME

6       a2ps - format files for printing on a PostScript printer
7

SYNOPSIS

9       a2ps [OPTION]... [FILE]...
10

DESCRIPTION

12       Convert  FILE(s) or standard input to PostScript.  By default, the out‐
13       put is sent to the default printer.  An output file  may  be  specified
14       with -o.
15
16       Mandatory  arguments  to  long  options are mandatory for short options
17       too.  Long options marked with * require a yes/no argument, correspond‐
18       ing short options stand for `yes'.
19
20   Tasks:
21       --version
22              display version
23
24       --help display this help
25
26       --guess
27              report guessed types of FILES
28
29       --which
30              report the full path of library files named FILES
31
32       --glob report the full path of library files matching FILES
33
34       --list=defaults
35              display default settings and parameters
36
37       --list=TOPIC
38              detailed  list on TOPIC (delegations, encodings, features, vari‐
39              ables, media, ppd, printers, prologues,  style-sheets,  user-op‐
40              tions)
41
42       After having performed the task, exit successfully.  Detailed lists may
43       provide additional help on specific features.
44
45   Global:
46       -q, --quiet, --silent
47              be really quiet
48
49       -v, --verbose[=LEVEL]
50              set verbosity on, or to LEVEL
51
52       -=, --user-option=OPTION
53              use the user defined shortcut OPTION
54
55       --debug
56              enable debugging features
57
58       -D, --define=KEY[:VALUE]
59              unset variable KEY or set to VALUE
60
61   Sheets:
62       -M, --medium=NAME
63              use output medium NAME
64
65       -r, --landscape
66              print in landscape mode
67
68       -R, --portrait
69              print in portrait mode
70
71       --columns=NUM
72              number of columns per sheet
73
74       --rows=NUM
75              number of rows per sheet
76
77       --major=DIRECTION
78              first fill (DIRECTION=) rows, or columns
79
80       -1, -2, ..., -9
81              predefined font sizes and layouts for 1.. 9 virtuals
82
83       -A, --file-align=MODE
84              align separate files according to MODE (fill, rank page,  sheet,
85              or a number)
86
87       -j, --borders*
88              print borders around columns
89
90       --margin[=NUM]
91              define an interior margin of size NUM
92
93       The  options -1.. -9 affect several primitive parameters to set up pre‐
94       defined layouts with 80 columns.  Therefore the order matters: `-R -f40
95       -2' is equivalent to `-2'.  To modify the layout, use `-2Rf40', or com‐
96       pose primitive options (`--columns', `--font-size' etc.).
97
98   Virtual pages:
99       --line-numbers=NUM
100              precede each NUM lines with its line number
101
102       -C     alias for --line-numbers=5
103
104       -f, --font-size=SIZE
105              use font SIZE (float) for the body text
106
107       -L, --lines-per-page=NUM
108              scale the font to print NUM lines per virtual
109
110       -l, --chars-per-line=NUM
111              scale the font to print NUM columns per virtual
112
113       -m, --catman
114              process FILE as a man page (same as -L66)
115
116       -T, --tabsize=NUM
117              set tabulator size to NUM
118
119       --non-printable-format=FMT specify how non-printable chars are printed
120
121   Headings:
122       -B, --no-header
123              no page headers at all
124
125       -b, --header[=TEXT]
126              set page header
127
128       -u, --underlay[=TEXT]
129              print TEXT under every page
130
131       --center-title[=TEXT]
132              set page title to TITLE
133
134       --left-title[=TEXT]
135              set left and right page title to TEXT
136
137       --right-title[=TEXT]
138
139       --left-footer[=TEXT]
140              set sheet footers to TEXT
141
142       --footer[=TEXT]
143
144       --right-footer[=TEXT]
145
146       The TEXTs may use special escapes.
147
148   Input:
149       -a, --pages[=RANGE]
150              select the pages to print
151
152       -c, --truncate-lines*
153              cut long lines
154
155       -i, --interpret*
156              interpret tab, bs and ff chars
157
158       --end-of-line=TYPE
159              specify the eol char (TYPE: r, n, nr, rn, any)
160
161       -X, --encoding=NAME
162              use input encoding NAME
163
164       -t, --title=NAME
165              set the name of the job
166
167       --stdin=NAME
168              set the name of the input file stdin
169
170       --print-anyway*
171              force binary printing
172
173       -Z, --delegate*
174              delegate files to another application
175
176       --toc[=TEXT]
177              generate a table of content
178
179       When delegations are enabled, a2ps may use other applications to handle
180       the  processing of files that should not be printed as raw information,
181       e.g., HTML PostScript, PDF etc.
182
183   Pretty-printing:
184       -E, --pretty-print[=LANG]
185              enable pretty-printing (set style to LANG)
186
187       --highlight-level=LEVEL
188              set pretty printing highlight LEVEL LEVEL can be none, normal or
189              heavy
190
191       -g     alias for --highlight-level=heavy
192
193       --strip-level=NUM
194              level of comments stripping
195
196   Output:
197       -o, --output=FILE
198              leave output to file FILE.  If FILE is `-', leave output to std‐
199              out.
200
201       --version-control=WORD
202              override the usual version control
203
204       --suffix=SUFFIX
205              override the usual backup suffix
206
207       -P, --printer=NAME
208              send output to printer NAME
209
210       -d     send output to the default printer (this is the  default  behav‐
211              ior)
212
213   PostScript:
214       --prologue=FILE
215              include FILE.pro as PostScript prologue
216
217       --ppd[=KEY]
218              automatic PPD selection or set to KEY
219
220       -n, --copies=NUM
221              print NUM copies of each page
222
223       -s, --sides=MODE
224              set  the  duplex  MODE (`1' or `simplex', `2' or `duplex', `tum‐
225              ble')
226
227       -S, --setpagedevice=K[:V]
228              pass a page device definition to output
229
230       --statusdict=K[:[:]V]
231              pass a statusdict definition to the output
232
233       -k, --page-prefeed
234              enable page prefeed
235
236       -K, --no-page-prefeed
237              disable page prefeed
238
239       By default a2ps is tuned to do what you  want  to,  so  trust  it.   To
240       pretty print the content of the `src' directory and a table of content,
241       and send the result to the printer `lw',
242
243              $ a2ps -P lw --toc src/*
244
245       To process the files `sample.ps' and `sample.html' and display the  re‐
246       sult,
247
248              $ a2ps -P display sample.ps sample.html
249
250       To process a mailbox in 4 up,
251
252              $ a2ps -=mail -4 mailbox
253
254       To print as a booklet on the default printer, which is Duplex capable,
255
256              $ a2ps -=book paper.dvi.gz -d
257
258       News,   updates   and   documentation:  visit  http://www.gnu.org/soft‐
259       ware/a2ps/.
260

AUTHOR

262       Written by Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana.
263

REPORTING BUGS

265       Report bugs to <bug-a2ps@gnu.org>.
266

COPYRIGHT

268       Copyright © 1988-1993 Miguel Santana
269       Copyright © 1995-2000 Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana
270       Copyright © 2007- Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana and Masayuki Hatta
271       This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is
272       NO  warranty;  not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
273       PURPOSE.
274

SEE ALSO

276       a2ps(1), card(1), fixps(1), pdiff(1), psset(1), texi2dvi4a2ps(1).
277
278       The full documentation for a2ps is maintained as a Texinfo manual.   If
279       the  info  and  a2ps  programs are properly installed at your site, the
280       command
281
282              info a2ps
283
284       should give you access to the complete manual.
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288GNU a2ps 4.14                      July 2022                           A2PS(1)