AdobePS 4.3 PostScript Driver (English) for Windows'9X Now Available

[Dov Isaacs <isaacs@xxxxxxxxx>]

Members of various Acrobat, FrameMaker,
& Computer-to-Plate Pressroom lists:

The English language version of the AdobePS 4.3 PostScript Driver
for Windows'9X is now available for download from Adobe Systems
at the following address:

  http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/LIBRARY/5712.htm 

AdobePS 4.3 for other languages will be available from the Adobe
web site in the near future.

It is this version of the driver that fixes the infamous text layout
and dropped characters problems when printing to printers with PPDs
indicating a PostScript version less than 2015 with AdobePS 4.2.4
through 4.2.6. In other words, "hacked" PPD files should no longer 
be required (finally!). However you need not undo those PPD changes
for AdobePS 4.3 to work correctly.

In conjunction with use of Acrobat 4.0, this driver version also finally
fully fixes the problem of Acrobat text searchability when text is
formatted using TrueType (Type 42) fonts.

AdobePS 4.3 provides full support for Windows 98 -- including Windows 98
Image Color Management 2.0, full sRGB color support with Office97, and 
conversion of sRGB input profiles into CRDs (Color Rendering Dictionaries)
for Windows 98. It allows users to override application settings for 
Image Color Management processing; provides a new, easy-to-use, 
InstallShield-based installer; provides support for printing the Euro 
character currency symbol for printers that support it; and supports 
remote printing to WebReady printers connected to the internet. Finally,
AdobePS 4.3 provides easy access to Adobe's Web site via Adobe Online.

=========================================================================
     Some very critical issues that you all should be aware of BEFORE
     attempting to installing this driver:
=========================================================================

(1) To simply upgrade your existing AdobePS 4.1.x or 4.2.x drivers, run
the installation program and select the "upgrade driver only" option.
You should delete any previous AdobePS 4.x setup programs (and shortcuts)
thereto from your system.

(2) Contrary to any readme files, the installer only allows one printer to
be setup at a time. Rerun the installer as many times as necessary to add
additional printer/driver instances.

(3) When simply updating the driver from AdobePS 4.1.x or 4.2.x, be sure to
examine all your standard printer settings and record them for later use.
The AdobePS 4.3 upgrade process resets many of the device settings to "default"
values that are very likely NOT what you want and/or need. For example, 
information about available memory, optional trays, duplexors, etc. may all
get reset to default values. Image color management may be enabled although
you don't necessarily want it on. The advanced PostScript options for data
transmission may be reset to ASCII with CTRL-D instead of TBCP or pure binary.
That is why it is so important that you manually record all these settings
BEFORE you do the upgrade and reset those values after the upgrade. Failure
to reset the values could cause total job failure, print job performance
degradation, and/or unexpected colors (or lack thereof) in output.

(4) The number of copies to be printed has been removed as a global property
of a particular printer/driver instance. Most applications allow you to set
this value, though, for the current job, via their print menu.

(5) The ability to set particular image screening frequencies and angles
has been totally removed from the printer properties. This functionality
was removed for a number of reasons including the fact that a large number
of PostScript printers ignore these settings and substitute their own
screening algorithms and that for critical applications that generate their
own PostScript (PageMaker, Quark XPress, Illustrator, Photoshop, Freehand,
CorelDraw, etc.), these settings were totally ignored. Depending upon the 
target printer, screen settings in EPS files generated by Photoshop, 
Illustrator, Freehand, CorelDraw, Acrobat, etc. may be honored but that is
not and hasn't been a function of the driver. 

(6) When setting up an HP LaserJet 8500 with this driver, the available
memory setting will indicate an error when you set it to high values, but
it will "take" anyway.

As with previous versions of AdobePS, the license for this driver, to which
your acceptance is required during the installation process for each
printer instance, limits its to use with printers with Adobe PostScript 
software (i.e., no clones) or with Adobe application programs with which
it is explicitly bundled (i.e., AdobePS 4.3.x will be explicitly required by
and will be bundled with InDesign 1.0 for Windows'98).

=========================================================================
     Some personal notes:
=========================================================================

I have been personally running with this driver now for approximately
eight weeks under a wide variety of conditions including both GDI apps
(such as Microsoft Office and FrameMaker) as well as applications that
generate their own PostScript (per list above) as well as with both 
Type 1 and TrueType fonts from a wide range of sources (and in multiple
languages). My target printers have been a wide range of devices with
Adobe PostScript Level 2 and Adobe PostScript 3. It appears to be at
least as stable as any previous AdobePS 4.x version and has significant
pluses as indicated above. I most strongly recommend it if you are
running any version of AdobePS 4.2.x. But please, take heed of point (3)
above.

No flames, please! I am just a messenger here!

	- Dov


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