I'm running a Windows-only program on my MacBook Pro (running XP), it hooks up to an OBD2 thingy that plugs into a car's OBD computer port to reset the check engine light, check codes, etc. The program has options to print its various screens but since I'm in my car, that's a little tough to do. I see an option to "print to file" so I do that. The resulting file has no extension, and doesn't open in any Windows app that I try. Back in OSX it's the same thing. I can drop it into TextEdit and see this header:

#TPOGPS PageRegion=Letter BRMediaType=Plain InputSlot=AutoSelect Resolution=600dpi BRHalfTonePattern=Brother TonerSaveMode=Off
%!PS-Adobe-3.0
%%Title: EasyObd II Version 2.2.0 Free Version
%%Creator: PScript5.dll Version 5.2.2
%%CreationDate: 3/31/2012 8:50:39
%%For: Administrator
%%BoundingBox: (atend)
%%DocumentNeededResources: (atend)
%%DocumentSuppliedResources: (atend)
%%DocumentData: Clean7Bit
%%TargetDevice: (DCP-7020) (3010.106) 3
%%LanguageLevel: 3
%%EndComments

So, it looks like this is a PostScript file for my Brother printer (I did install the drivers for this printer in Windows). The question I have, is there ANY way to print this, in either Windows or OSX? TIA for any tips!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2012 10:24AM by reezekeys.

try to drop it in the printer window, or add extension .ps and it should open in Preview



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2012 10:32AM by space-time.

Thanks for the quick reply. I did try adding .ps and opening one of the files in Preview before and it didn't work. Tried it again and it did work, for two out of the five files. With the three that didn't work, the small "PostScript Conversion" box gave me the message "Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced." Helpful, huh?!

This sounds like BrotherScript 3 and a version of the non-PS library that is v5 (PDL-5?), and that this is what it’s attacking the file with, but not generating what the printer needs.

No reason for that app to produce a PostScript file that I can think of. Can you save it as any other kind of file, from .PS to EPS to PDF to Text or any/all?

If so, then if it is as a PS file, I’d open it with Acrobat reader Mac first or real Acrobat — or send it to one of us in a variety of formats in a zip - and we’ll see what we can render and send back as a PDF.

Lexmark & BroScript are good - no doubt, but RAM is really key. I have a PS Level 3 HP 2015 — nothing special about it except that it has either 288MB of RAM or 544MB. (Either way… the whole set-up for a fast and flawless printer sans Ether and no duplex was $6 tax and $14 for the RAM that was $599.99 from HP!) - so I have the true Postscript driver and Acrobat X if that’s what it is trying to really output.

Zip it up and drop it to me at gmail if you want. say 15MB limit on zip, or send me a link to your DropBox if you have one - drop it in your Public folder and get a URL.

This is one of those things that gets me and I have to know what it is, once I hear about it! And SOLVE it!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2012 03:00PM by Jimmypoo.

Thanks for the offer to assist me with this Jimmypoo. I was able to print what I needed by using a procedure I found by accident. I saw that the Windows printer control panel let me specify "Microsoft One Note" as my default printer. After I did that, I went to print a screen from the OBD2 software and it came up as a One Note document. One Note let me "Save As..." in a few different formats, one being a standard Word document, which I opened in OSX.

PostScript, Windows, PDL-5, these are things I know nothing about!! Thanks again for offering to help me!