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I have always been a huge fan of Don Lancaster's wizardly writing about PostScript, who not only regularly published in Computer Shopper, but also generously ra
by DonHopkins 3y ago
I have always been a huge fan of Don Lancaster's wizardly writing about PostScript, who not only regularly published in Computer Shopper, but also generously ran a free PostScript help line at his own personal phone number. But Woody Baker was by far his biggest most enthusiastic fan of all (and highly eccentric in personality and coding style), and he would regularly extol and evangelize Don Lancaster's virtues and ideas on comp.lang.postscript.
Once around March 4 1990, I gave Woody Baker some feedback on his comp.lang.postscript faq, including the suggesting that he might consider leaving Don Lancaster's personal phone number out of it, but he replied:
>Again, I want to thank you for your contributions. You and D. Cortesi have
been most helpful. The two of you gave me very in depth feedback. I have
moved almost all the editorializing to the end. I have moved the style stuff
to the end. As for DON LANCASTER, I left his phone number in. Don publishes
it regularly in the computer shopper, as a free PostScript help line. He
is self-employed, and a widely published Author, for TAB books among other
things. He says he averages 80 helpline calls a day. He also sells programs
and books that he is self publishing. I can assure you, he won't mind at all.
Woody loved to talk in depth about how amazing and inspirational Don Lancaster was, and defend his well deserved honor and reputation whenever anybody criticized his work.
http://computer-programming-forum.com/36-postscript/ff79f7dd099e02c8-2.htm http://computer-programming-forum.com/36-postscript/ff79f7dd...
>True. Don lives in an APPLE II world. You are wrong, however in certain
statements. He has (unfortunatly) mentioned what FLXPROC does. It happens
to be critical to certain things, that several consultants are working on here
and there. He knows enough not to blab some things, and jerk work out from
under individuals (at least some of the time). Don has dug pretty deeply
into certain areas of PS, and I have dug deeply into other areas of PS. Don
is first and formost a writer. He's self employed, and extremely intellegent.
I am first and formost a software engineer, and secondly a writer. I tend
to write, however for clients. I'm confident that I know what FLXPROC does, and
what it is good for. And I'm sure Don does also. I more or less told him
about FLXPROC and he more or less told me what it does. After first quarter
1990, some things will be essentially worthless as consulting info, and will
rapidly become public knowlege. I don't applogize for keeping the lid on
some things. I'm a bit of a mercenary in a way. I like consulting.
>Cheers
>Woody
Their great respect was mutual:
https://archive.org/stream/Ask_the_Guru_v1 https://archive.org/stream/Ask_the_Guru_v1
https://archive.org/stream/Ask_the_Guru_v1/Ask_the_Guru_v1_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/Ask_the_Guru_v1/Ask_the_Guru_v1_d...
>Don Lancaster's ASK THE GURU Selected reprints
>Copyright c. 1987 by Don Lancaster and Synergetics,
Box 809, Thatcher, AZ 85552. (520) 428-4073
>Electronically self-published using the Apple //e computer
and the LaserWriter Plus. All graphics were done in their
entirety by ProDOS Applewriter 2.1.
[...]
>I don't think I was ever
more amazed when Woody
Baker of The Copier Store
mailed me back one of my
very own laser printed business cards — redone in real
ink in an almost "embossed"
gold! Turns out Woody had
found an older Omnicrom
machine scunging around
unsold in the back of his
warehouse and fired it up. Lo
and behold, the instant conversion of any toner image to
real ink in stunning colors!
Example 10 of Don Lancaster's Postscript Show & Tell beautifully illustrates how an Omnicrom printer works:
https://www.tinaja.com/glib/psnt.pdf https://www.tinaja.com/glib/psnt.pdf
>Example ten --
What appears hear as a mild-mannered Postscript
technical illustration is really the secret of full
color laser printing.
>Omnicrom sheets are real ink applied to a carrier.
You place the sheet in contact with your toner image
and then run it back through the fusion rollers a
second time. The ink gets fused over the toner.
- jacquesm 3y agoThose examples are amazing. And the MAX233 figures, what's not to like :) RIP Don Lancaster, who, just like those canals was woefully underappreciated. These articles always make me wonder who is left.