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+Network Working Group J. Palme
+Request for Comments: 2346 Stockholm University/KTH
+Category: Informational May 1998
+
+
+ Making Postscript and PDF International
+
+Status of this Memo
+
+ This memo provides information for the Internet community. It does
+ not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this
+ memo is unlimited.
+
+Copyright Notice
+
+ Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
+
+Abstract
+
+ Certain text formats, for example Postscript (MIME-Type:
+ application/postscript; file extension .ps) and Portable Document
+ Format (MIME-Type: application/pdf; file extension .pdf) specify
+ exactly the page layout of the printed document. The commonly used
+ paper format is different in North America and the rest of the world.
+ North America uses the 'Letter' format, while the rest of the world
+ mostly uses the ISO-standard 'A4' format. This means that documents
+ formatted on one continent may not be easily printable on another
+ continent. This memo gives advice on how to produce documents which
+ are equally well printable with the Letter and the A4 formats. By
+ using the advice in this document, you can put up a document on the
+ Internet, which recipients can print without problem both in and
+ outside North America.
+
+ A very short summary of the advice in this document: If you are using
+ U.S. Letter paper format, ensure that both the left and right margins
+ are at least 21 mm (0.8 in). If you are using A4 paper format, ensure
+ that both the top and bottom margins are at least 33 mm (1.3 in).
+
+Table of Contents
+
+ 1. Introduction 2
+ 2. Two methods for printing on different paper formats 2
+ 2.1 Method 1: Use wider margins 2
+ 2.2 Method 2: Print with reduced size 3
+ 2.3 Method 3: Buy paper in the A4 size 4
+ 3. Acknowledgements 4
+ 4. Security Considerations 4
+ 5. References 4
+
+
+
+Palme Informational [Page 1]
+
+RFC 2346 Making Postscript and PDF International May 1998
+
+
+ 6. Author's Address 5
+ 7. Full Copyright Statement 6
+
+1. Introduction
+
+ Certain text formats, for example Postscript (MIME-Type:
+ application/postscript; file extension .ps) and Portable Document
+ Format (MIME-Type: application/pdf; file extension .pdf) specify
+ exactly the page layout of the printed document. The commonly used
+ paper format is different in North America and the rest of the world.
+ North America uses the 'Letter' format, while the rest of the world
+ uses the 'A4' format.
+
+ The North American Letter format is 216 x 279 mm (8.5 x 11 in) while
+ the ISO standardised A4 format is 210 x 297 mm (8.3 x 11.7 in). The
+ Letter format is thus 6 mm (0.2 inches) wider, while the A4 format is
+ 18 mm (0.7 inches) taller.
+
+ This means that documents formatted on one continent may not be
+ printable on another continent. It is oboviously desirable that
+ documents on the Internet are printable on all continents. This paper
+ gives advice on how to achieve this.
+
+ This memo is not intended for HTML documents, but the advice may be
+ of value also for HTML developers in case they are using fixed-size
+ graphics and fixed WIDTH sizes of objects in HTML documents.
+
+2. Three methods for printing on different paper formats
+
+2.1 Method 1: Use wider margins
+
+Paper format
+you use when
+converting
+the document Suggested minimal margins
+to Postscript Paper
+or PDF orien- Suggested change Left Right Top Bottom
+ tation of margins
+------------ ----------- ----------------- ----- ----- ----- -----
+A4 Portrait Add 18 mm (0.7 20 mm 20 mm 33 mm 33 mm
+ (upright, inches) to the top 0.8" 0.8" 1.3" 1.3"
+ vertical) of page and bottom
+ of page margins
+
+A4 Landscape Add 18 mm (0.7 33 mm 33 mm 15 mm 15 mm
+ (lying, inches) to the 1.3" 1.3" 0.6" 0.6"
+ horizontal) left and right
+ margins
+
+
+
+Palme Informational [Page 2]
+
+RFC 2346 Making Postscript and PDF International May 1998
+
+
+Letter Portrait Add 6 mm (0.2 20 mm 26 mm 15 mm 15 mm
+ (upright, inches) to the 0.8" 1.0" 0.6" 0.6"
+ vertical) right margins
+
+Letter Landscape Add 6 mm (0.2 15 mm 15 mm 21 mm 21 mm
+ (lying, inches) to the top 0.6" 0.6" 0.8" 0.8"
+ horizontal) of page and bottom
+ of page margins
+
+ The reason why you have to add 18 respectively 6 mm to both the top
+ and the bottom margin is that you do not know what kind of printer
+ the recipient uses, and different printers feed paper in different
+ ways, requiring the margin to be added either at the top or the
+ bottom of the paper. Left and right margins on any paper format
+ should be at least 20 mm wide to accomodate filing with ISO 838 hole
+ punches.
+
+ Note: Ensure that also headers, footers, and page numbers are within
+ the suggested minimal margins. Many word processors put headers,
+ footers and page numbers outside the specified text margins.
+
+2.2 Method 2: Print with reduced size
+
+ This is a method useful for the recipient of a document with the
+ wrong paper size: The recipient sets the printer to print with
+ reduced size. When the sender produces the PDF or Postscript files,
+ the sender should 'print' with 100 % size, but when the recipient
+ prints the PDF or Postscript files, and if the program for printing
+ PDF or Postscript files allows this, the recipient should print the
+ document with 94% or less of full size. Many programs for printing
+ Postscript files do not allow this. In that case, the recipient can
+ convert a Postscript document to PDF format and then print it with
+ the PDF printing program. This requires, however, that the recipient
+ has the Adobe Acrobat Distiller program, which is not freeware.
+ Recent versions of the freeware ghostscript can also convert to PDF
+ format. The user may also have to specify the paper size as the
+ actual paper size loaded in the printer, not the paper size specified
+ when the document was converted to PDF or Postscript format.
+
+ It is also possible to edit the Postscript file, and add a scale
+ command to it, before sending it to the printer.
+
+ Method 2 can be more difficult for the recipient, who has to manage
+ these settings himself. However, manufacturers of printing software
+ may in the future make method 2 easier by making this service
+ automatic, perhaps controlled by a 'shrink to fit paper size'
+ checkbox in the printing window and a 'default shrink to fit paper
+ size' preference setting.
+
+
+
+Palme Informational [Page 3]
+
+RFC 2346 Making Postscript and PDF International May 1998
+
+
+ In general, the authors of this RFC recommend PDF as the prefered
+ formatted document distribution format over Postscript, not only
+ because PDF printing programs typically feature a 'shrink to fit'
+ option to handle different paper sizes elegantly, but also because
+ PDF has built-in per page data compression, PDF files can be
+ displayed without being fully downloaded, PDF is more portable, PDF
+ has a better method of rendering fonts not available in the printer
+ and PDF allows to embed URLs.
+
+2.3 Method 3: Buy paper in the A4 size
+
+ People in North America who often need to print international
+ documents might choose to buy paper in the A4 size. It is available
+ in the U.S. from many large paper distribution companies, and almost
+ all laser printers support it.
+
+3. Acknowledgements
+
+ Markus Kuhn has provided many helpful suggestions on this document.
+
+ Adobe, Acrobat, Distiller, Exchange and Postscript are trademarks of
+ Adobe Systems Incorporated or its subsidiaries.
+
+4. Security Considerations
+
+ Adherence to the recommendations in this memo will increase the
+ likelihood that a document will be readable, and look the same, to
+ all recipients, and thus reduce the risk of misunderstanding. The
+ recommendation does not in itself introduce any known new security
+ risks. Of course, there might be a risk that reliance on the
+ recommendations in this memo will make certain writers too sure that
+ their documents will look the same.
+
+ Postscript (TM) has well known security risks. These are discussed in
+ [MIME].
+
+5. References
+
+ A4 Writing paper and certain classes of printed matter
+ - Trimmed sizes - A and B series, International
+ Standard ISO 216, International Organization for
+ Standardization, Geneva, 1975.
+
+ ANSI Bond Papers and Index Bristols - Common Sheet Sizes,
+ North American National Standard ANSI X3.151, North
+ American National Standards Institute, 1987.
+
+
+
+
+
+Palme Informational [Page 4]
+
+RFC 2346 Making Postscript and PDF International May 1998
+
+
+ ISO Paper - Holes for general filing purposes -
+ 838 Specifications, International Standard ISO 838,
+ International Organization for Standardization,
+ Geneva, 1974.
+
+ Kuhn Markus Kuhn: International Standard Paper Sizes.
+ <URL:http://www.ft.uni-erlangen.de/~mskuhn/iso-
+ paper.html>.
+
+ PDF Tim Bienz, Richard Cohn, James R. Mechan: Portable
+ Document Format Reference Manual, Version 1.2, Adobe
+ Systems Incorporated,
+ <URL:http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/devrelation
+ s/PDFS/TN/PDFSPEC.PDF>.
+
+ MIME Freed, N., and N. Borenstein, "Multipurpose Internet Mail
+ Extensions (MIME) Part Two: Media Types", RFC 2046,
+ November 1996.
+
+6. Author's Address
+
+ Jacob Palme
+ Stockholm University and KTH
+ Electrum 230
+ S-164 40 Kista, Sweden
+
+ Phone: +46-8-16 16 67
+ Fax: +46-8-783 08 29
+ EMail: jpalme@dsv.su.se
+
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+Palme Informational [Page 5]
+
+RFC 2346 Making Postscript and PDF International May 1998
+
+
+7. Full Copyright Statement
+
+ Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998). All Rights Reserved.
+
+ This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to
+ others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it
+ or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published
+ and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any
+ kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are
+ included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this
+ document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing
+ the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other
+ Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of
+ developing Internet standards in which case the procedures for
+ copyrights defined in the Internet Standards process must be
+ followed, or as required to translate it into languages other than
+ English.
+
+ The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be
+ revoked by the Internet Society or its successors or assigns.
+
+ This document and the information contained herein is provided on an
+ "AS IS" basis and THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET ENGINEERING
+ TASK FORCE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
+ BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION
+ HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
+ MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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+Palme Informational [Page 6]
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