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Lucas Carey - PDF page sizes

Lucas Carey - PDF page sizes

by Arnold Pizer -
Number of replies: 0
inactiveTopicPDF page sizes topic started 3/26/2001; 2:40:56 PM
last post 3/28/2001; 12:49:33 AM
userLucas Carey - PDF page sizes  blueArrow
3/26/2001; 2:40:56 PM (reads: 1207, responses: 1)
Andy Wildenberg pointed out that PDF files are being created as A4 instead of letter. I fixed this by editing scripts/makePS /usr/bin/dvips -o $2.ps $2.dvi 2>/dev/null becomes /usr/bin/dvips -t letter -o $2.ps $2.dvi 2>/dev/null

I didn't see this documented anywhere, never noticed it my self, and I'm not sure whether its just Suse 6.4 or whether everyone has this problem. It should probably default to letter, as thats what most people print on.

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userWilliam Wheeler - Re: PDF page sizes  blueArrow
3/28/2001; 12:49:33 AM (reads: 1534, responses: 0)
This "problem" is caused by the config.ps file for dvips in your TeX installation. This file can be found in the directory

..../texmf/dvips/config .

Inside this config.ps file are the declarations of the various paper sizes that "are supported" at your site. The paper size declarations all begin with the symbol @ .

Here are some examples:

@ letterSize 8.5in 11in

@ letter 8.5in 11in
@+ %%BeginPaperSize: Letter
@+ letter
@+ %%EndPaperSize

@ A4 210mm 297mm
@+ ! %%DocumentPaperSizes: A4
@+ %% BeginPaperSize: A4
@+ a4
@+ %%EndPaperSize

The first paper size declaration in the config.ps file is the default paper size for your site. dvips will use this paper size unless it is overridden on the command line with the -t option.

If your site is creating PDF files in A4 size rather letter size, then the first paper size declaration in the config.ps file must be an A4 declaration. In order to make letter the default paper size, you should ask your site administrator to modify the config.ps file and insert the following declaration as the first paper size declaration:

@ letterSize 8.5in 11in

That A4 is the default size for your site suggests that your TeX installation was constructed from Thom Esser's teTeX package. A4 is the default paper size in the teTeX package, because Esser resides in Europe where A4 is the standard paper size.

For more information, please consult the dvips.info files, which should be somewhere in your TeX installation.

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