Epstool

Overview

Epstool is a utility to create or extract preview images in EPS files, fix bounding boxes and convert to bitmaps.

Features:

• Add EPSI, DOS EPS or Mac PICT previews.
• Extract PostScript from DOS EPS files.
• Uses Ghostscript to create preview bitmaps.
• Create a TIFF, WMF, PICT or Interchange preview from part of a bitmap created by Ghostscript.
• works under Win32, Win64, OS/2 and Unix.
• works on little-endian machines (Intel) or big endian (Sun Sparc, Motorola) machines.

Examples

Create EPS file tiger2.eps with TIFF (G3 Fax) preview
  epstool --add-tiff-preview --device tiffg3 tiger.eps tiger2.eps

Add colour preview to EPS file
  epstool ---add-tiff6p-preview tiger.eps tiger3.eps

Extract TIFF preview from tiger3.eps
  epstool --extract-preview tiger3.eps tiger3.tif

EPS file has incorrect %%BoundingBox. Add TIFF4 preview and calculate %%BoundingBox from bitmap.
  epstool --add-tiff4-preview --bbox golfer.eps golfer2.eps

Adjust the BoundingBox of an existing EPS file, but don't add a preview:
  epstool --copy --bbox golfer.eps golfer2.eps

Obtaining epstool

Grab the epstool 3.08 Windows zip file or the Unix tar.gz file.

An older version used to be included with GSview.

Send problem reports to Russell Lang.

Other tools

Other tools that can add previews to EPS files are

• GSview (same code as epstool)
• ps2epsi, which is part of Ghostscript. This only adds Interchange previews.
• ps2epsplus for creating Mac EPS files on a Mac.
• ps2epsmac for creating Mac EPS files under Unix.