[tex-live] images in PS output

[Thomas Esser]

> understand why it doesn't work without one of
> these options since the preamble of my tex
> file starts with
> 
> \documentclass[a4paper]{article}

dvips puts only very little information about a4 paper into the ps output.
The default papersize definition in config.ps is:

  @ A4size 210mm 297mm
  @+ %%PaperSize: A4

This is to give the best possible compatibility for the ps output that is
generated.

By passing -t a4, you get the following definition:
  @ a4 210mm 297mm
  @+ ! %%DocumentPaperSizes: a4
  @+ %%BeginPaperSize: a4
  @+ a4
  @+ %%EndPaperSize

This way, dvips puts enough information into the output, so that gs can
get the ps->pdf conversion right. You can make this a4 definition the
default, by rearranging the order in dvips's config.ps (or by executing
the command "texconfig dvips paper a4").

I does not matter much what you say in your (La)TeX file. Maybe, there
are possibilities to pass things to dvips via \special commands, but
the papersize definitions are the usual way to do this.

Thomas