[reportlab-users] newby: is importing eps possible?

[Robin Becker]

Tim Roberts wrote:
> On Mon, 23 May 2005 04:10:05 -0700, <andy at reportlab.com> wrote:
> 
>>  
>>
>>>> So my question: is there any way to embed eps files in pdfs 
>>>> generated by pdfgen/platipus?
>>>
>>>   
>>
>>
>> No.  You would need to use an external application to preprocess
>> them to a bitmap.
>>  
>>
> 
> I've often wondered why that was so.  EPS and PDF are natural cousins; a 
> PDF is little more than an EPS with a bit of additional wrapping.  It 
> should be possible to embed an EPS without much more than a transform 
> matrix to set the scale.
> 
> Of course, if I think it's so simple, why don't I just go do it?
> 

1.3 pdf manual says

'''4.10 PostScript XObjects
In PDF 1.1, a content stream can include PostScript language fragments. These
fragments are used only when printing to a PostScript output device; they have
no effect either when viewing the document on-screen or when printing to a
non-PostScript device. In addition, applications that understand PDF are unlikely
to be able to interpret the PostScript fragments. Hence, this capability should
be used with extreme caution and only if there is no other way to achieve the
same result. Inappropriate use of PostScript XObjects can cause PDF files to print
incorrectly.


Note: Since PDF 1.4 encompasses all of the Adobe imaging model features of the
PostScript language, there is no longer any reason to use PostScript XObjects. This
feature is likely to be removed from PDF in a future version.'''


so it's a deprecated thing. It could be done, but is inadvisable.

-- 
Robin Becker