TIFF2PS(1) LibTIFF TIFF2PS(1)
tiff2ps - convert TIFF image to PostScripttm
tiff2ps [ options ] input.tif <?>
tiff2ps reads TIFF images and writes PostScripttm or Encapsulated
PostScripttm (EPS) on the standard output. By default tiff2ps writes
Encapsulated PostScripttm for the first image in the specified TIFF
image file.
By default, tiff2ps will generate PostScripttm that fills a printed
area specified by the TIFF tags in the input file. If the file does
not contain XResolution or YResolution tags, then the printed area is
set according to the image dimensions. The -w and -h options (see
below) can be used to set the dimensions of the printed area in
inches; overriding any relevant TIFF tags.
The PostScripttm generated for RGB, palette, and CMYK images uses the
colorimage operator. The PostScripttm generated for greyscale and
bilevel images uses the image operator. When the colorimage operator
is used, PostScripttm code to emulate this operator on older
PostScripttm printers is also generated. Note that this emulation
code can be very slow.
Color images with associated alpha data are composited over a white
background.
-1 Generate PostScripttm Level 1 (the default).
-2 Generate PostScripttm Level 2.
-3 Generate PostScripttm Level 3. It basically allows one to use
the `/flateDecode filter for ZIP compressed TIFF images.
-8 Disable use of ASCII85 encoding with PostScripttm Level 2/3.
-a Generate output for all IFDs (pages) in the input file.
-b margin
Specify the bottom margin for the output (in inches). This
does not affect the height of the printed image.
-c Center the image in the output. This option only shows an
effect if both the -w and the -h option are given.
-C name
Specify the document creator name.
-d dir Set the initial TIFF directory to the specified directory
number. (NB: Directories are numbered starting at zero.)
This option is useful for selecting individual pages in a
multi-page (e.g. facsimile) file.
-D Enable duplex printing (two pages per sheet of paper).
-e Force the generation of Encapsulated PostScripttm (implies
-z).
-h size
Specify the vertical size of the printed area (in inches).
-H Specify the maximum height of image (in inches). Images with
larger sizes will be split in several pages. Option -L may be
used for specifying size of split images overlapping.
-i Enable/disable pixel interpolation. This option requires a
single numeric value: zero to disable pixel interpolation and
non-zero to enable. The default is enabled.
-L Specify the size of overlapping for split images (in inches).
Used in conjunction with -H and -W options.
-l Specify the left margin for the output (in inches). This does
not affect the width of the printed image.
-M size
Set maximum memory allocation size (in MiB). The default is
256MiB. Set to 0 to disable the limit.
-m Where possible render using the imagemask PostScripttm
operator instead of the image operator. When this option is
specified tiff2ps will use imagemask for rendering 1 bit deep
images. If this option is not specified or if the image depth
is greater than 1 then the image operator is used.
-o ifdoffset
Set the initial TIFF directory to the IFD at the specified
file offset. This option is useful for selecting thumbnail
images and the like which are hidden using the SubIFD tag.
-O Write PostScripttm to specified file instead of standard
output.
-p Force the generation of (non-Encapsulated) PostScripttm.
-P L|P Set optional PageOrientation DSC comment to Landscape or
Portrait.
-r 90|180|270|auto
Rotate image by 90, 180, 270 degrees or auto. Auto picks the
best fit for the image on the specified paper size (eg
portrait or landscape) if -h or -w is specified. Rotation is
in degrees counterclockwise. Auto rotates 90 degrees ccw to
produce landscape.
-s Generate output for a single IFD (page) in the input file.
-t title
Specify the document title string.
-T Print pages for top edge binding.
-w size
Specify the horizontal size of the printed area (in inches).
-W size
Specify the maximum width of image (in inches). Images with
larger sizes will be split in several pages. Options -L and -W
are mutually exclusive.
-x Override resolution units specified in the TIFF as
centimeters.
-y Override resolution units specified in the TIFF as inches.
-z When generating PostScripttm Level 2, data is scaled so that
it does not image into the deadzone on a page (the outer
margin that the printing device is unable to mark). This
option suppresses this behavior. When PostScripttm Level 1 is
generated, data is imaged to the entire printed page and this
option has no affect.
The following generates PostScripttm Level 2 for all pages of a
facsimile:
tiff2ps \-a2 fax.tif | lpr
Note also that if you have version 2.6.1 or newer of Ghostscript then
you can efficiently preview facsimile generated with the above
command.
To generate Encapsulated PostScripttm for a the image at directory 2
of an image use:
tiff2ps \-d 1 foo.tif
(Notice that directories are numbered starting at zero.)
If you have a long image, it may be split in several pages:
tiff2ps \-h11 \-w8.5 \-H14 \-L.5 foo.tif > foo.ps
The page size is set to 8.5x11 by -w and -h options. We will accept a
small amount of vertical compression, so -H set to 14. Any pages
between 11 and 14 inches will be fit onto one page. Pages longer
than 14 inches are cut off at 11 and continued on the next page. The
-L.5 option says to repeat a half inch on the next page (to improve
readability).
Because PostScripttm does not support the notion of a colormap, 8-bit
palette images produce 24-bit PostScripttm images. This conversion
results in output that is six times bigger than the original image
and which takes a long time to send to a printer over a serial line.
Matters are even worse for 4-, 2-, and 1-bit palette images.
Does not handle tiled images when generating PostScripttm Level I
output.
pal2rgb (1), tiffinfo (1), tiffcp (1), tiffgt (1), tiffmedian (1),
tiff2bw (1), libtiff (3tiff),
LibTIFF contributors
1988-2025, LibTIFF contributors
4.7 March 7, 2026 TIFF2PS(1)
NAME
tiff2ps - convert TIFF image to PostScripttm
SYNOPSIS
tiff2ps [ options ] input.tif <?>
DESCRIPTION
tiff2ps reads TIFF images and writes PostScripttm or Encapsulated
PostScripttm (EPS) on the standard output. By default tiff2ps writes
Encapsulated PostScripttm for the first image in the specified TIFF
image file.
By default, tiff2ps will generate PostScripttm that fills a printed
area specified by the TIFF tags in the input file. If the file does
not contain XResolution or YResolution tags, then the printed area is
set according to the image dimensions. The -w and -h options (see
below) can be used to set the dimensions of the printed area in
inches; overriding any relevant TIFF tags.
The PostScripttm generated for RGB, palette, and CMYK images uses the
colorimage operator. The PostScripttm generated for greyscale and
bilevel images uses the image operator. When the colorimage operator
is used, PostScripttm code to emulate this operator on older
PostScripttm printers is also generated. Note that this emulation
code can be very slow.
Color images with associated alpha data are composited over a white
background.
OPTIONS
-1 Generate PostScripttm Level 1 (the default).
-2 Generate PostScripttm Level 2.
-3 Generate PostScripttm Level 3. It basically allows one to use
the `/flateDecode filter for ZIP compressed TIFF images.
-8 Disable use of ASCII85 encoding with PostScripttm Level 2/3.
-a Generate output for all IFDs (pages) in the input file.
-b margin
Specify the bottom margin for the output (in inches). This
does not affect the height of the printed image.
-c Center the image in the output. This option only shows an
effect if both the -w and the -h option are given.
-C name
Specify the document creator name.
-d dir Set the initial TIFF directory to the specified directory
number. (NB: Directories are numbered starting at zero.)
This option is useful for selecting individual pages in a
multi-page (e.g. facsimile) file.
-D Enable duplex printing (two pages per sheet of paper).
-e Force the generation of Encapsulated PostScripttm (implies
-z).
-h size
Specify the vertical size of the printed area (in inches).
-H Specify the maximum height of image (in inches). Images with
larger sizes will be split in several pages. Option -L may be
used for specifying size of split images overlapping.
-i Enable/disable pixel interpolation. This option requires a
single numeric value: zero to disable pixel interpolation and
non-zero to enable. The default is enabled.
-L Specify the size of overlapping for split images (in inches).
Used in conjunction with -H and -W options.
-l Specify the left margin for the output (in inches). This does
not affect the width of the printed image.
-M size
Set maximum memory allocation size (in MiB). The default is
256MiB. Set to 0 to disable the limit.
-m Where possible render using the imagemask PostScripttm
operator instead of the image operator. When this option is
specified tiff2ps will use imagemask for rendering 1 bit deep
images. If this option is not specified or if the image depth
is greater than 1 then the image operator is used.
-o ifdoffset
Set the initial TIFF directory to the IFD at the specified
file offset. This option is useful for selecting thumbnail
images and the like which are hidden using the SubIFD tag.
-O Write PostScripttm to specified file instead of standard
output.
-p Force the generation of (non-Encapsulated) PostScripttm.
-P L|P Set optional PageOrientation DSC comment to Landscape or
Portrait.
-r 90|180|270|auto
Rotate image by 90, 180, 270 degrees or auto. Auto picks the
best fit for the image on the specified paper size (eg
portrait or landscape) if -h or -w is specified. Rotation is
in degrees counterclockwise. Auto rotates 90 degrees ccw to
produce landscape.
-s Generate output for a single IFD (page) in the input file.
-t title
Specify the document title string.
-T Print pages for top edge binding.
-w size
Specify the horizontal size of the printed area (in inches).
-W size
Specify the maximum width of image (in inches). Images with
larger sizes will be split in several pages. Options -L and -W
are mutually exclusive.
-x Override resolution units specified in the TIFF as
centimeters.
-y Override resolution units specified in the TIFF as inches.
-z When generating PostScripttm Level 2, data is scaled so that
it does not image into the deadzone on a page (the outer
margin that the printing device is unable to mark). This
option suppresses this behavior. When PostScripttm Level 1 is
generated, data is imaged to the entire printed page and this
option has no affect.
EXAMPLES
The following generates PostScripttm Level 2 for all pages of a
facsimile:
tiff2ps \-a2 fax.tif | lpr
Note also that if you have version 2.6.1 or newer of Ghostscript then
you can efficiently preview facsimile generated with the above
command.
To generate Encapsulated PostScripttm for a the image at directory 2
of an image use:
tiff2ps \-d 1 foo.tif
(Notice that directories are numbered starting at zero.)
If you have a long image, it may be split in several pages:
tiff2ps \-h11 \-w8.5 \-H14 \-L.5 foo.tif > foo.ps
The page size is set to 8.5x11 by -w and -h options. We will accept a
small amount of vertical compression, so -H set to 14. Any pages
between 11 and 14 inches will be fit onto one page. Pages longer
than 14 inches are cut off at 11 and continued on the next page. The
-L.5 option says to repeat a half inch on the next page (to improve
readability).
BUGS
Because PostScripttm does not support the notion of a colormap, 8-bit
palette images produce 24-bit PostScripttm images. This conversion
results in output that is six times bigger than the original image
and which takes a long time to send to a printer over a serial line.
Matters are even worse for 4-, 2-, and 1-bit palette images.
Does not handle tiled images when generating PostScripttm Level I
output.
SEE ALSO
pal2rgb (1), tiffinfo (1), tiffcp (1), tiffgt (1), tiffmedian (1),
tiff2bw (1), libtiff (3tiff),
AUTHOR
LibTIFF contributors
COPYRIGHT
1988-2025, LibTIFF contributors
4.7 March 7, 2026 TIFF2PS(1)