On 03-Dec-04 Ted Harding wrote:
I'd try to style it up *very* nicely!). [Don't under-rate groff -- it's an excellent DTP tool]
The output from that phase would be a PostScript file, corresponding to A4 paper, one page (1-40) per page.
Stage 2 is to re-order the pages using psbook (see "man psbook").
Stage 3 is to put the successive re-ordered pages two to each single a4 page (landscape orientation now) using psnup with "-2".
If you get your options right with psbook and psnup you will have solved exactly the problem you have stated.
I just verified this with an 8-page document in a PS file (which would normally print as 8 pages of A4).
The following was sufficient to produce the desired result.
1. psbook doc.ps doc_book.ps --> [8][1][2][7][6][3][4][5] 2. psnup -2 doc_book.ps doc_book_2up.ps --> [8,1][2,7][6,3][4,5]
Then (having only a "uniplex" or 1-side-at-a-time PS printer) I opened doc_book_2up.ps is gv and marked pages 1 & 3 for printing thus getting (a)[8,1] and (b)[6,3] on one side of 2 sheets. Then I turned (a) and (b) upside down[*] and put them back in the tray so that (a) was on top with (b) underneath. Then I unselected pages 1 & 3 in gv and selected pages 2 and 4 for printing, this getting [2,7] on the back of [8,1] and [4,5] on the back of [6,3].
The result is:
8 +----------------------- (a) | 7 | 6 |+---------------------- (b) || 5 || 4 |+---------------------- (b) | 3 | 2 +----------------------- (a) 1
So that simple procedure should sort it for you!
Best wishes, Ted.
[*] PS: "upside down" means exchanging L & R printing edges (the short sides)! Beware not to exchange top & bottom! (very easily done by oversight)
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