Ronald Thomas  (ront@meeker.cfnr.colostate.edu)  writes:

> The 650C can plot its own raster language, (HP Raster Transfer Language)
> and finding a software package that converts to it (from sunrast, gif, ps,
> however you save images now) might be cheaper than the
> $1125.00 upgrade the plotter requires to plot postscript.

    
    From a document provided via Hewlett-Packard's "HP First"
    fax retrieval system (800-333-1917):


    Document #5535:
    File Conversions for the HP DesignJet Plotter
    (apparently last updated August 1992)

    "The HP DesignJet plotter directly supports three kinds of files
    common in many CAD and graphics applications:
    * HP Raster Transfer Language (HP RTL)
    * HP-GL/2
    * HP 7586B emulation (HP-GL)

    "If your application does not support one of the HP DesignJet internal file
    types, you can still plot by using a third-party utility to translate your
    file into a compatible format."

    The document then has a table that "lists many common plot file formats
    and the third-party utilities that can convert these files to HP RTL
    for plotting on your HP DesignJet plotter."

    IMAGE ALCHEMY and FREEDOM OF PRESS are two of the packages listed.  They are
    the ones listed that run on Sun platforms.  The others that are listed are
    exclusively for DOS.

    IMAGE ALCHEMY, according to the HP chart, can convert these file types
    to HP RTL:

       CALS-CCITT G4 Type 1
       GIF
       SGI Raster Files
       Sun Raster Files
       Targa
       TIFF Packbits

    FREEDOM OF PRESS, according to the HP chart, can convert these file types
    to HP RTL:

       PostScript


    The HP document then lists platforms that are supported by the listed conversion
    software packages.

    IMAGE ALCHEMY:
       
       Sun 3
       Sun 4
       Sun SPARCstation
       RS/6000

    FREEDOM OF PRESS:

       Sun SPARCstation
    Again from the HP document:
    "For more information, contact the individual manufacturer of the third-party
    utility you are interested in."

    Image Alchemy
    Handmade Software
    15951 Los Gatos Boulevard
    Los Gatos, CA  95032
    408-358-1292

    Freedom of Press
    Professional Series
    Custom Applications, Inc.
    900 Technology Park Drive
    Building 8
    Billerica, MA  01821
    508-667-8585
    800-873-4367


+++++++++++++++++++++++
Scott Wade   wade@vinny.cecer.army.mil
unofficial comments - my words, not my employers'  !
no recommendations or guarantees implied - just passing along info !
all info here is from Hewlett Packard



