---
name: "printps"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "survex"
version: "1.0.39.1-2.1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/printps"
---

# printps(1)

print .3d files on a PostScript printer or plotter

## NAME

printps — print **.3d** files on a PostScript printer or plotter

## SYNOPSIS

**printps** \[options\] .3d file ...

## Description

Printps produces PostScript output for use with PostScript printers  and plotters. It's also the recommended way to print on Linux (the  Linux printing system accepts PostScript and converts it to the format  your printer needs.

The configuration file **print.ini**, which  sets various features for each printer. See the 'Printer Settings'  section for details. Even if your printer is not standard you should be  able get it to work by customising one of the supplied definitions.

## Options

The command line options are:

- \--survey=SURVEY

  Only load the sub-survey SURVEY

- \-e, --elevation

  select elevation

- \-p, --plan

  select plan view

- \-b, --bearing=BEARING

  set bearing

- \-t, --tilt=TILT

  set tilt

- \-s, --scale=SCALE

  set scale

- \-n, --station-names

  display station names

- \-c, --crosses

  display crosses at stations

- \-B, --no-border

  turn off the solid border around the edge of the survey.  Printing to dot-matrix and inkjet printers can be significantly faster without  this border as the printhead usually doesn't need to move all the way to the  edge of the paper.

- \-C, --no-cutlines

  If a printout takes more than one page, alignment ticks are  printed where the page corners need to be joined.  By default dash lines are  also drawn along internal edges to facilitate trimming down the page with  scissors.  If you have a guillotine, the alignment ticks are sufficient for  trimming the page and this option allows you to turn off the dashed lines.

- \-l, --no-legs

  turn off display of survey legs

- \-S, --surface

  turn on display of surface survey legs. By default only  underground survey legs are shown.

- \-k, --skip-blanks

  don't output blank pages With this option pages which are blank  (apart from alignment marks and borders) will not be printed.

- \-o, --output=OUTPUT

  set output file

## Interactive Use

When you run the printer driver you will be asked if you want a  plan or elevation (enter **\<P\>**, or **\<E\>**) - the default is  plan. Then enter values for the desired plot view. These values  correspond to those displayed in the bottom right hand corner when using  Aven (or the top right when using caverot).  You would usually use  Aven or caverot  to pick the best view and then  note the angles before running the Printer Driver. This will  be integrated soon.

For a plan enter bearing up the page, in degrees, 0 indicating North  at the top of the page (the default).

For an elevation enter the angle of view (i.e. the compass bearing  from which the scene is viewed), and angle of tilt, where 0 is  horizontal, - is looking down from above, and + is looking up from  below, so -90 is the same as plan view.

For an extended elevation, no viewing angles are needed.

You'll be told the scale needed to fit the plot on one page, and  be asked what scale you want to use. The you're told how many  pages this will take (and the arrangement of those pages (e.g. 6 pages  (2x3)) and have the opportunity to print, quit, or change the scale (so  you can repeat this process until you have a scale and number of pages  you are happy with).

You can then print all the pages, a range of pages, or any arbitrary  list of pages and ranges (handy for when your printer mangles a page).

## See Also

**3dtopos(1)**,  **[aven(1)](/aven/1.md)**,  **[cad3d(1)](/cad3d/1.md)**,  **[cavern(1)](/cavern/1.md)**,  **[diffpos(1)](/diffpos/1.md)**,  **[extend(1)](/extend/1.md)**,  **[printdm(1)](/printdm/1.md)**,  **[printhpgl(1)](/printhpgl/1.md)**,  **[printpcl(1)](/printpcl/1.md)**,  **[sorterr(1)](/sorterr/1.md)**,  **[svxedit(1)](/svxedit/1.md)**,  **[xcaverot(1)](/xcaverot/1.md)**,  **[print.ini(5)](/print.ini/5.md)**