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PPD Concepts

A PostScript printer description (PPD) file is a text file that contains keywords and other information to specify printer features, options, and settings. PPD files are created by printer vendors for a specific PostScript printer or printer family, and must comply with Adobe’s PostScript Printer Description File Format Specification. Mac OS X parses the contents of a PPD file to discover the features provided by a printer, and then uses that information to build a user interface and supply PostScript code to invoke the feature settings chosen by the user.

This chapter

• provides an overview of PostScript printer description (PPD) files and the important keywords for Mac OS X

• describes the Printer Features pane that can appear in the Print dialog for a PostScript printer

• shows how Mac OS X searches for and chooses PPD files

Contents:

PostScript Printer Description Files
The Printer Features Pane in the Print Dialog
How Mac OS X Searches for and Chooses PPD Files

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