Postscript facts for kids

Postscript is a special programming language that helps computers talk to computer printers. It was created by a company called Adobe in 1984. Think of it as a set of instructions that tells a printer exactly how to draw text, pictures, and shapes on a page.

Postscript is a very important "standard" for printing. This means many different printers understand and use it. There have been three main versions: Postscript Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, with each new version adding more features and improvements.

What is Postscript?

Postscript is like a detailed recipe for printing. Instead of just sending a picture of a page to the printer, Postscript sends commands. For example, it might say: "Draw a circle here," or "Put this text in this font at this size." This makes sure that what you see on your computer screen looks exactly the same when it's printed, no matter what printer you use.

How Postscript Works

When you print a document, your computer often turns it into Postscript code. This code then goes to the printer. The printer has a special "interpreter" inside that understands Postscript. It reads the code and then draws everything onto the paper. This process helps create sharp, clear text and graphics.

Postscript and PDF

You might have heard of PDF files. These are also from Adobe and are very popular for sharing documents. PDF was actually developed from Postscript!

While Postscript is great for telling printers what to do, PDF was designed to be even better for sharing and viewing documents on different devices. PDF files are usually smaller and easier to open without needing special software. Many of the complex programming features found in Postscript were simplified or removed to make PDF files more focused on just showing documents.

"Hello World" in Postscript

In the world of computer programming, a "Hello World" program is a very simple example that just prints the words "Hello world!" It's often the first program someone learns in a new language.

In Postscript, a "Hello World" program would tell the printer to draw the words "Hello world!" on the page. It shows how Postscript can control the font, size, and position of text.

See also

• In Spanish: Post scriptum para niños