Outputting to a Postscript File

There are two main uses for graphs in Postscript format. The first is to have a copy you can print later, without using GnuPlot. You need regular Postscript files for this. The second is to include the graph in another document. For this option you need to use Encapsulated Postscript Files. This is a special form of Postscript that can be included in documents. (EPS files don't have the extra lines that are used when a PS file is printed directly to a printer). To generate a postscript file, do the following:

set output "filename.ps" where filename.ps is the name of the output file.
set terminal postscript
replot

To print this file from the command line (not in GnuPlot), type

lp filename.ps To use the default printer, or
lp -dlj3sib filename.ps To use the printer lj3sib.

If you print to this file again, it will append the graph to the end of the file as a second page. For instance,

set output "file2.ps"
set terminal postscript
splot sin(x*y)
plot x**2

would create a 2-page postscript file called "file2.ps". The first page would be the plot of z=sin(xy) and the second page would be the plot of y=x². Usually, you will only want the one graph in each PS file.

When you want to return to printing to the screen, type the following two lines:

set output
set terminal x11

Options for set terminal postscript

There are several options for this command:

set terminal postscript color - This will create a postscript file with color in it. The default is "monochrome", which only produces black and white images.
set terminal postscript solid - This will use solid lines when printing, instead of the default "dashed". This usually creates better looking graphs.

Printing to EPS files

To print to an EPS file, you do the same as for PS files, but use the following set terminal command.

set output "filename.eps"
set terminal postscript eps

Make sure you only print one image to each EPS file.

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