pdf2ps

pdf2ps [options] input.pdf [output.ps]

input.pdf
    The input PDF file to be converted.

output.ps
    The output PostScript file. If not specified, the output is written to standard output.

-dCompatibilityLevel=1.4
    Set compatibility level to PDF version 1.4

-dPDFSETTINGS=/screen
    Low quality, smallest size. [72 dpi]

-dPDFSETTINGS=/ebook
    Medium quality. [150 dpi]

-dPDFSETTINGS=/printer
    High quality. [300 dpi]

-dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress
    Highest quality, large size. [300 dpi]

-help
    Display usage information.

The `pdf2ps` command is a utility for converting Portable Document Format (PDF) files into PostScript (PS) files. It serves as a wrapper around `gs` (Ghostscript), preconfiguring it for optimal PDF-to-PS conversion. This is useful for printing PDF documents on printers that primarily support PostScript, or for further processing with PostScript-based tools. It offers a straightforward interface, abstracting away the complexities of directly using `gs` with the appropriate options for PDF conversion. The output PS file can be either Level 2 or Level 3 PostScript, depending on the options used. `pdf2ps` provides a simple way to prepare PDF content for use in workflows that rely on PostScript.

The quality of the converted PostScript file depends heavily on the underlying Ghostscript installation and the options used. Some complex PDF features may not be perfectly translated to PostScript.

The `pdf2ps` command returns 0 on success and a non-zero value on failure.

Error messages are usually written to standard error.

pdf2ps was created to provide a simplified interface for converting PDF files to PostScript using Ghostscript. It aimed to make the conversion process more accessible to users who were not familiar with the intricacies of Ghostscript's command-line options. It has been included in various Linux distributions and is commonly used in scripting and automation tasks.

ps2pdf(1), gs(1)