GNU Ghostscript

Ghostscript is a set of software that provides an open source PDF suite. It provides:

- An interpreter for the PostScriptTM language and PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format);
- Input modules (utilities) for reading a variety of raster formats, including CMYK, GIF, JFIF (JPEG), MIFF, PBM/PGM/PPM, and PCX;
- Output modules (drivers) for a wide variety of window systems, raster file formats, and printers, as well as a PDF output module that implements functions similar to Adobe's AcrobatTM DistillerTM product; and
- The Ghostscript library, a set of procedures to implement the graphics and filtering capabilities that are primitive operations in the PostScript language and in PDF.

In simple terms, this means that Ghostscript can read a PostScript or PDF file and display the results on the screen or convert them into a form you can print on a non-PostScript printer. Especially together with several popular previewers, with Ghostscript you can view or print an entire document or even isolated pages, even if your computer doesn't have Display PostScript and your printer doesn't handle PostScript itself.