PostScript Templates

<p class="MsoNormal">PostScript templates are used to create the printer layout
for some letter, prescription styles, graphs, and currently is the only way to define a
print layout for the Superbill. Using PostScript means that if you
have a PostScript capable printer, you can easily print to a local or network
PS printer without going thru the process of first creating a PDF which is how
most of Synapse EMR printing is done.



PostScript printers tend to be higher end lasers, and many color lasers are
PostScript capable. But be careful when purchasing as some of the low end
color lasers that are windows specific are cheaper precisely because they lack
PostScript. Older B&amp;W lasers from HP were also PostScript capable
such as the 4MP, but of course they were very expensive when first released
some 12 years ago! You can purchase a used PostScript printer off eBay
for less than $100 - but make sure first that it works with Windows and is not
Macintosh specific!



Synapse EMR comes with a built-in template for the Superbill. However, you may wish to customise if you
need to change the layout. To see the
built in layout, in Synapse EMR build 166 and higher

1. <li class="MsoNormal" style="">Navigate
   to the Custom/PostScript tab<li class="MsoNormal" style="">Select
   “invoice” from the drop down menu near the bottom left<li class="MsoNormal" style="">Click
   on the “Default” button same line, and it will be displayed on the right<li class="MsoNormal" style="">Type
   a name for the template in the field above the buttons eg. Superbill, and
   then “Add New”<li class="MsoNormal" style="">You
   are now ready to make changes, and test them. When happy with the changes, use the “Update” button.

<p class="MsoNormal">To activate the new template

1. <li class="MsoNormal" style="">Navigate
   to the Settings/PostScript tab<li class="MsoNormal" style="">Click
   on the “?” button to the right of the “Superbill Template” label<li class="MsoNormal" style="">One
   template called “superbill” or whatever name you used will appear in the
   list<li class="MsoNormal" style="">Click
   on the name to select it, and then use the “Save Config” button to save
   this setting.

<p class="MsoNormal"><o></o>The PostScript templates use a DSL ( domain specific
language ) to specify the layout. At
present this is undocumented, but can be inferred from the examples. If you need help, ask on the forums.



<p class="MsoNormal">NB: When you use a PostScript template, it previews in a
window which allows you to view at different sizes etc. This may well be blank if you do not install
the optional PostScript font package!

forinstance,



How to customize your Prescriptions.

Custom/PostScript

I use a template called "A4 script generic" which is below

The "at nxn" tells the printer where to place the following item on the page. The item can be a keyword such as "My-name", or "patient-table" which takes information from the database or configuration settings. Or, it can be text as long as there is a font directive before that.

So, lets go thru this template line by line

pagesize A4

Set the pagesize to A4. Can be letter, or A5.

font Times-BoldItalic 30

Use the PostScript font, Times-BoldItalic in a 30 point size for the heading

linewidth 1

Use a linewidth of 1 point for any lines we draw. We are going to draw 3 lines in this template later on.


at 190x750 My-Name

On the page measured from the bottom left, place My-name at 190x750 points where there are 72 points per inch. My-name is set up in Settings.

color (black)

Use the color black for any printing until we change the color. Note the ( ).



font Times-Roman 12

Change the font to Times-Roman at 12 point size


newpath at 75x725 line1

Start a newpath ( ie. we've finished with the text now ), and at 75x725 place the text corresponding to Line1 of the doctors address in Settings.


at 75x715 line2

at 75x705 line3

Print Line2 and Line3 of the doctors address

at 440x725 "Reg: "

At 440x725 put the text "Reg: " still using the same font as last set.


at 465x725 medical-registration


Now at 465x725 ( on the same y setting, but 25 points to the right of "Reg: " ) put the medical registration as taken from the doctor's Settings.

at 445x715 "Ph: "

at 465x715 ph

at 445x705 "Fx: "

at 465x705 fx

Do similar for the phone and fax from Setttings



at 75x680 "Date:" font Times-Bold at 105x680 today

Put the text "Date: " and then change to a bold font before printing today's date.


font Times-Roman 14

Change to a larger font size of 14


at 75x655 patient-table

Now at 75x655, print the patient's address details as taken from the database.


at 360x660 "Dob:" at 400x660 dob

Print the date of birth


newpath at 75x740 line 530x740
newpath at 75x700 line 530x700

Draw a couple of parallel lines across the page 75x740 to 530x740, and 75x700 to 530x700




font Times-Roman 12

Change to a 12 point font

at 75x570 pre

Yes. Ghostscript and GSview will work. That is what I use.

In the >Settings>Postscript area - enter the location of GSVIew. For me it is ..


c:\Program Files\Ghostgum\gsview\gsview32.exe

DrO,

Redmon should work, but it looks very complicated to setup. Basically with Redmon, ghostscript is used to create the bitmap that is eventually sent to the printer. With a PS printer of course, it's much easier and quicker because all the processing is offloaded to the printer itself. With Redmon/Ghostscript, the processing has to be done by the PC.

You can get cheap second hand postscript printers on eBay etc.

Nope ... you have all the default templates.

In Settings/PostScript templates

use the drop down list. Select one of each you don't have. click on "Default" to create it. Resize it to Letter. Give it a name, and then save it.

you may see errors if you don't have a patient loaded up to fill the template.

Would it be smarter for new demo'ers to have more defaults set ?

How hard would it be ?