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Incorrect orientation of PDF files when viewed in Acrobat Reader

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Postscript files created from Unix machines with version 12 of LUSAS, and some Postscript files produced from version 13 LUSAS products will display with an incorrect orientation in Acrobat Reader. This is due to Acrobat Distiller (which is used to create the PDF files) requiring Page orientation commands or actual text to be present in the Postscript file in order to work-out the page orientation.

At the time of writing, LUSAS produced Postscript files do not include page orientation commands so any page orientation is solely arrived at by Acrobat Distiller by the presence of text in the file. For Unix versions of LUSAS all text is vectorised (meaning that Distiller cannot derive the intended page orientation). With PC versions all text is stored in the Postscript file as ascii character codes (meaning that in these cases Distiller can derive the correct page orientation).

Acrobat Exchange allows rotating of PDF files for saving in a new orientation but Acrobat Reader (the shareware version) does not have this facility. So, if files are created without text, and they display to the wrong orientation, one solution is to edit the PostScript file and include the appropriate page orientation commands. This can be done either manually, or with a small Unix or Perl script.

To get Unix-produced PostScript files converted to PDF using a landscape format the following amendments must be made to the top of the file.

  • Modify this line:

11160 1600 translate

  • To be:

1160 1160 translate

  • Remove this line:

90 rotate

  • Insert this line before the /world save def line:

<< /PageSize [792 612] >> setpagedevice

  • This gives the following typical first few lines to a file...

%!PS-Adobe-2.0

%%Title example.ps

%%Creator Expose

%%CreationDate Thu Feb 11 102459 gmt 1999

%%For spajs

%%EndComments

<< /PageSize [792 612] >> setpagedevice

/world save def

10 setlinewidth

1 setlinejoin

1 setlinecap

0.0500 0.0500 scale

1160 1160 translate

  • Alternatively, the following values could be used to give the maximum size of image on an A4 size of paper:

%!PS-Adobe-2.0

%%Title example.ps

%%Creator Expose

%%CreationDate Thu Feb 11 102459 gmt 1999

%%For spajs

%%EndComments

<< /PageSize [841 594] >> setpagedevice

/world save def

10 setlinewidth

1 setlinejoin

1 setlinecap

0.05500 0.05500 scale

900 600 translate


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