Re: Multiplot fails in postscript mode

[Hans-Bernhard B. <br...@ph...>]

On Fri, 4 Jun 2004, Lutz Maibaum wrote:

> I wasn't aware that this is what the "set size" command does. I though
> that it tells gnuplot that "whatever graph you plot, do it in a way that
> it covers the whole width of the output medium, but only half its
> height". I didn't expect the "set size" command to change the size of
> the output medium itself, which I thought was always 10"x7" for the
> postscript terminal.

Actually, 'set size' doesn't really modify the size of the PS output
medium --- it cannot possibly do that for a printer output format, because
the medium is a physical sheet of paper, and gnuplot can neither know what
size that actually is, nor can it do anything about it if it's not the
expected size, let alone "change the size" of it.  gnuplot doesn't own a
pair of scissors, nor a knife.

Instead, 'set size' in postscript multiplot will change the _bounding_box_
comment record put into the file.  Whether that bounding box information
has any effect on the final output is entirely in the hands of the
postscript interpreter and other tools --- gnuplot loses all power to
affect this the moment it closes the file.  Printers, e.g., will generally
ignore it, but word processors you paste a plot file into may honour it.

-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (br...@ph...)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.