Gzipped Postscript files are a compact way of storing letter quality documents. Unfortunately, not all browsers are pre-configured to know how to print them. In my experience, most UNIX browsers know how to print these files automatically, but most Windows browsers do not. Here are some hints on how to print gzipped Postscript files if your browser does not automatically do this for you. If, after reading these hints, you have not succeeded in printing these documents let me know and I will be happy to send you a copy in the mail.
Gzipped Postscript files are created by running GNUgzip on a Postscript (`*.ps') file, creating a gzipped Postscript file (`*.ps.gz').
See the gzip homepage for freely available gzip source code and executables.
Postscript is a language understood by most printers these days, so it is likely that your printer can print these documents.
The easiest methods to print Postscript file relies on the freely available ghostview program.
If you have ghostview then try the following:
If you are running UNIX and you have a `~/.mailcap' file, then make sure it contains a line like
`application/postscript; ghostview %s'
Alternatively, you can edit the Application Preferences for the Netscape browser as follows:
Description: Postscript document,
MIMEtype: `application/postscript,
Suffixs [sic]: ai,eps,ps,
Handled by Application: ghostview %s.
If the above methods do not work for you then you can try saving the `*.ps.gz' file to disk and processing it by hand. Say the filename is `foo.ps.gz'. First unzip the file using the GNU gunzip program (also available from the gzip homepage) by typing
`gunzip foo.ps.gz'. This command should replace the original file with a (larger) file named `foo.ps' which is a pure Postscript file. You can print this file on any Postscript printer with the command `lpr foo.ps' from any UNIX system. I do not know how to print a Postscript file (e.g., `foo.ps') from a Windows or MacIntosh system without installing ghostview first (please let me know if there is an easier way).