Convert between PostScript, EPS, and PDF formats
Convert a PostScript file to PDF
a2ping [input.ps] [output.pdf]
Convert an EPS file to PDF with tight bounding box
a2ping --bboxfrom=compute-gs [input.eps] [output.pdf]
Convert to specific output format
a2ping --outformat=[pdf|eps|ps] [input.ps] [output]
a2ping [options] inputfile [outputfile]
a2ping is a Perl script that converts between various page description formats including PostScript (PS), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), PDF, and related formats. It acts as a smart wrapper around Ghostscript and other tools, automatically detecting input formats and applying appropriate conversions.
The tool is particularly useful for converting EPS graphics with proper bounding box handling, making it ideal for preparing figures for LaTeX documents. It can compute accurate bounding boxes, handle font embedding, and optimize output for different use cases.
--outformat=format
Output format: pdf, eps, eps2, eps3, ps, ps2, ps3
--bboxfrom=method
Bounding box source: adsc (from DSC comments), compute-gs (compute using Ghostscript)
--resolution=dpi
Set output resolution in dots per inch
--compress=method
Compression method: none, zip, best
--gsextra=options
Pass extra options to Ghostscript
--help
Display help information
Requires Ghostscript to be installed for most conversions. Some complex PostScript features may not convert perfectly. The tool is primarily designed for single-page documents; multi-page handling may vary.
a2ping was written by Peter Szabo and first released in 2003. It was developed to address common difficulties in converting EPS files to PDF with correct bounding boxes, particularly for users preparing scientific documents with LaTeX. The tool became part of TeX Live distributions.