Creating PostScript files (this example uses MS Word but it applies to most applications)
You can create PostScript versions of Word documents by printing to a file.

1. Print the document to a file
a. Select "Print" from the File menu

b. Check the box "Print to File"
c. Click "OK"
d. Select the directory to print the file to, e.g., C:\Usertemp
e. Name the document, replace the "*" with a name for the document, e.g. "myfile.prn"
f. Click "Ok"

2. Change the file name extension from ".prn" to ".ps"

a. Open "My Computer\Local Disk(c:)\Usertemp"
b. Select the file
c. Select "Rename" from the File menu
d. Change the file extention from ".prn" to ".ps", e.g., "myfile.ps"

3. Open the file with Distiller

Distiller (once you have a PostScript file)

Distiller is very simple, you open a PostScript file and then save it as a pdf file.
1. From the Start Menu, select Adobe / Acrobat Distiller 4.0
2. Select "File : Open"
3. Select the PostScript file to convert, e.g., "myfile.ps" and hit "Open"
4. The "Specify PDF File name" dialog box will open
5. Type and Save the name of the pdf file you wish to create
6. Distiller will create the PDF file - check Distiller's status box for information on the creation. Also, if successful, it will open the new file in Acrobat Reader.

Troubleshooting (once you have a PostScript file)
If Distiller doesn't work correctly and you have access to a UNIX machine, you can display the postscript file with the command "gv file.ps" in order to compare it to the original document.

Some tips:

1. Fonts
If you're intending to have the document published by a printer you should restrict the fonts you use in text, equations, and figures to the Type 1 fonts Times, Symbol, and Zapf Dingbats only.

2. Graphics
Use Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) for your graphics. Most of the problems we have encountered in processing documents like this have been associated with graphics. Illustration programs such as Aldus Freehand® and Adobe Illustrator® produce graphics in EPS format. We suggest using these and other data-plotting and graphics applications that produce EPS files and incorporating the EPS files into your word processor document.

3. Scanning
The best way to create figures for inclusion in your document is to use a drawing program, enlarge or reduce it to final size, save the file as EPS, and include it in your text file. If you must scan figures, observe the following guidelines.
Scanning at a higher resolution will give small advantage to your document--in fact, it will make your final PostScript file larger and create difficulties in processing. Therefore:

Scan line art figures at 300 dpi resolution and photos and grayscale images at 150 dpi resolution.
Note that a 6 x 6 in image scanned at 300 dpi becomes a 600 dpi image when reduced to 3 x 3 in. For this reason, it is important that any changes in the size of the image are made at the time of scanning: Zoom the image to the desired final size before scanning at the correct dpi.
Scan graphics as line art (300 dpi) if at all possible. Only use grayscale or color scanning (150 dpi) if there is no other way to get a clear graphic.
Images with dark backgrounds, such as oscilloscope photographs, produce overly large files. Most scanner programs can invert the image as a negative, which will give you a more readable image and a much smaller file.

4. Photographs
Under the present constraints, it is difficult to display photographs at their best. Details are lost, file sizes are large, and drawing the image on the screen is very slow. If a photograph must be used, the best options are to scan it as a grayscale image, or use a compressed JPEG image such as can be produced by Adobe Photoshop.