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a2ps
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a2ps [options] [file]

The a2ps command stands for “ASCII to PostScript”. It is a versatile utility that converts plain text files (and many other file formats) into PostScript, which can then be printed on PostScript printers or converted into PDF.

Despite its name, a2ps is not limited to ASCII text—it supports source code, structured documents, and can format multiple pages per sheet, add headers/footers, and apply syntax highlighting.

It is commonly used to:

  • Prepare source code for printing with line numbers.
  • Generate multi-column PostScript output for compact printing.
  • Export text or code into PDF (via ps2pdf).

Options

-1, -2, -3, -4

Print in 1, 2, 3, or 4 columns per page

-B

Suppress page headers (title, date, page number)

-o file

Write output to a file instead of stdout

-P printer

Send output directly to a printer

-R

Reverse page order (last page first)

–line-numbers

Add line numbers in the margin

–list=features

Show supported encodings, papers, or styles

–prolog=FILE

Insert PostScript prolog code

–landscape

Print in landscape mode

–portrait

Print in portrait mode

Examples

1. Convert a text file into PostScript

a2ps myfile.txt -o output.ps

2. Print in 2 columns per page, no headers

a2ps -2 -B myfile.txt -o compact.ps

3. Send directly to a printer

a2ps -P my_printer report.txt

4. Add line numbers to source code

a2ps --line-numbers program.c -o program.ps

5. Generate a PDF from text (using ps2pdf)

a2ps mynotes.txt -o - | ps2pdf - mynotes.pdf

Availability

a2ps is not installed by default on most Linux distributions, but it is widely available:

Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt install a2ps

Fedora/RHEL/CentOS

sudo apt update && sudo apt install a2ps

Arch Linux / Manjaro

sudo apt update && sudo apt install a2ps

Alpine Linux

sudo apt update && sudo apt install a2ps

Minimal/BusyBox-based systems

Not included by default.

Syntax Highlighting

a2ps includes support for multiple programming languages. It automatically detects file types by extension and applies styles. To see available languages and styles:

a2ps --list=styles

You can also define custom highlighting rules for new file types.

Integration with Printing

  • Output from a2ps is PostScript by default.
  • You can redirect output into lpr or cups for immediate printing.
  • Works seamlessly with CUPS printing system.

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