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A2PS(1) User Commands A2PS(1) NAME a2ps - format files for printing on a PostScript printer SYNOPSIS a2ps [OPTION]... [FILE]... DESCRIPTION Convert FILE(s) or standard input to PostScript. By default, the output is sent to the default printer. An output file may be specified with -o. Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too. Long options marked with `*' require a yes/no argument, corresponding short options stand for `yes'. Tasks: --version display version --help display this help --guess report guessed types of FILES --which report the full path of library files named FILES --glob report the full path of library files matching FILES --list=defaults display default settings and parameters --list=TOPIC detailed list on TOPIC (delegations, encodings, features, variables, media, ppd, printers, prologues, style-sheets, user-options) After having performed the task, exit successfully. Detailed lists may provide additional help on specific features. Global: -q, --quiet, --silent be really quiet -v, --verbose[=LEVEL] set verbosity on, or to LEVEL -=, --user-option=OPTION use the user defined shortcut OPTION --debug enable debugging features -D, --define=KEY[:VALUE] unset variable KEY or set to VALUE Sheets: -M, --medium=NAME use output medium NAME -r, --landscape print in landscape mode -R, --portrait print in portrait mode --columns=NUM number of columns per sheet --rows=NUM number of rows per sheet --major=DIRECTION first fill (DIRECTION=) rows, or columns -1, -2, ..., -9 predefined font sizes and layouts for 1..9 virtuals -A, --file-align=MODE align separate files according to MODE (fill, rank page, sheet, or a number) -j, --borders* print borders around columns --margin[=NUM] define an interior margin of size NUM The options -1.. -9 affect several primitive parameters to set up prede- fined layouts with 80 columns. Therefore the order matters: `-R -f40 -2' is equivalent to `-2'. To modify the layout, use `-2Rf40', or compose primitive options (`--columns', `--font-size' etc.). Virtual pages: --line-numbers=NUM precede each NUM lines with its line number -C alias for --line-numbers=5 -f, --font-size=SIZE use font SIZE (float) for the body text -L, --lines-per-page=NUM scale the font to print NUM lines per virtual -l, --chars-per-line=NUM scale the font to print NUM columns per virtual -m, --catman process FILE as a man page (same as -L66) -T, --tabsize=NUM set tabulator size to NUM --non-printable-format=FMT specify how non-printable chars are printed Headings: -B, --no-header no page headers at all -b, --header[=TEXT] set page header -u, --underlay[=TEXT] print TEXT under every page --center-title[=TEXT] set page title to TITLE --left-title[=TEXT] set left and right page title to TEXT --right-title[=TEXT] --left-footer[=TEXT] set sheet footers to TEXT --footer[=TEXT] --right-footer[=TEXT] The TEXTs may use special escapes. Input: -a, --pages[=RANGE] select the pages to print -c, --truncate-lines* cut long lines -i, --interpret* interpret tab, bs and ff chars --end-of-line=TYPE specify the eol char (TYPE: r, n, nr, rn, any) -X, --encoding=NAME use input encoding NAME -t, --title=NAME set the name of the job --stdin=NAME set the name of the input file stdin --print-anyway* force binary printing -Z, --delegate* delegate files to another application --toc[=TEXT] generate a table of content When delegations are enabled, a2ps may use other applications to handle the processing of files that should not be printed as raw information, e.g., HTML PostScript, PDF etc. Pretty-printing: -E, --pretty-print[=LANG] enable pretty-printing (set style to LANG) --highlight-level=LEVEL set pretty printing highlight LEVEL LEVEL can be none, normal or heavy -g alias for --highlight-level=heavy --strip-level=NUM level of comments stripping Output: -o, --output=FILE leave output to file FILE. If FILE is `-', leave output to stdout. --version-control=WORD override the usual version control --suffix=SUFFIX override the usual backup suffix -P, --printer=NAME send output to printer NAME -d send output to the default printer (this is the default behavior) PostScript: --prologue=FILE include FILE.pro as PostScript prologue --ppd[=KEY] automatic PPD selection or set to KEY -n, --copies=NUM print NUM copies of each page -s, --sides=MODE set the duplex MODE (`1' or `simplex', `2' or `duplex', `tumble') -S, --setpagedevice=K[:V] pass a page device definition to output --statusdict=K[:[:]V] pass a statusdict definition to the output -k, --page-prefeed enable page prefeed -K, --no-page-prefeed disable page prefeed By default a2ps is tuned to do what you want to, so trust it. To pretty print the content of the `src' directory and a table of content, and send the result to the printer `lw', $ a2ps -P lw --toc src/* To process the files `sample.ps' and `sample.html' and display the result, $ a2ps -P display sample.ps sample.html To process a mailbox in 4 up, $ a2ps -=mail -4 mailbox To print as a booklet on the default printer, which is duplex capable, $ a2ps -=book paper.dvi.gz -d FILES a2ps reads several files before the command line options. In order, they are: 1. The system configuration file (usually /usr/local/etc/a2ps.cfg) un- less you have defined the environment variable A2PS_CONFIG, in which case a2ps reads the file it points to; 2. the user's home configuration file ($HOME/.a2ps/a2psrc) 3. the file .a2psrc in the current directory. See the info manual for more information, including a description of the configuration file format. AUTHOR Written by Akim Demaille, Miguel Santana, and Reuben Thomas. REPORTING BUGS Report bugs to: bug-a2ps@gnu.org GNU a2ps home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/a2ps/> General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/> COPYRIGHT Copyright (C) 2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>. This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. SEE ALSO a2ps(1), card(1), fixps(1), pdiff(1). The full documentation for a2ps is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and a2ps programs are properly installed at your site, the command info a2ps should give you access to the complete manual. GNU a2ps 4.15.7 December 2025 A2PS(1)
NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | FILES | AUTHOR | REPORTING BUGS | COPYRIGHT | SEE ALSO
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