Q: How can I view a Postscript file I just downloaded?
Answer
Most documents stored in Postscript form are intended to be sent right to your printer. Printing them can be the easiest way to view a postscript file.
On Athena, use
lpr filename.ps
to send the file to the default printer. On a Macintosh, you need to download the postscript file with the Laserwriter Utility or similar software.
On a PC, you can
print filename.ps
to send the file to a postscript printer connected to LPT1:.
On a Macintosh, the Laserwriter Utility has a menu option to "download a postscript file" to the printer.
Viewing Postscript on the Screen with a Postscript Previewer
Now, If you really want to view postscript documents on the screen before printing, download and install the postscript viewer called Ghostview. Ghostview for Windows is available from
Ghostview is not really supported at the Computing Help Desk but users have not had much trouble getting it going.
You could send mail to the document authors asking them to post another version of it in a more widely accessible format, such as Adobe Acrobat's PDF (Portable Document Format).