What is a PS file?
PS stands for PostScript. It was created by Adobe and first released in 1984. PostScript is a programming language for describing pages, made by Adobe for laser printers. A .ps file is a program that a printer or Ghostscript runs to draw each page, which is why converting it to PDF is the usual way to view or share it.
| Type | document |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| Colour | any colour, pages of text, vector shapes and images |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Ghostscript, Okular and Evince open it, and so did macOS Preview before Ventura |
| Common uses | print jobs, printer drivers and output from Unix, LaTeX and scientific programs |
| MIME type | application/postscript |
Which format should you convert PS to?
- PS to JPG to share a page as a photo.
- PS to PNG to keep text on a page sharp.
- PS to TIFF for print and archive workflows.
PS is lossless, so converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller.
How to open a PS file
A PS file does not open in a web browser, and only some devices have a program for it. Here is what works on each. If none of these is to hand, converting the file to PNG here is the quickest way to see what is inside it.
| Windows | Okular and Ghostscript with GSview (all free) open it; Adobe Acrobat Distiller turns it into a PDF. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Preview opened PostScript until macOS Ventura; newer versions need Ghostscript, or converting it to PDF here. |
| iPhone and iPad | iPhone and iPad cannot show PostScript. Convert it to PDF here to view it. |
| Android | Android cannot show PostScript. Convert it to PDF here to view it. |
Want the technical details? See what a .ps file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
PS compared with other document and image formats
How PS stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS | Lossless | No | 1984 | print jobs, printer drivers and output from Unix, LaTeX and scientific programs |
| Either | No | 1993 | documents, forms, invoices and print-ready files | |
| JPG | Lossy | No | 1992 | camera photos, web images and email attachments |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | 1996 | screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with transparency |
How to use the PS converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your PS files on the box, or press Choose PS files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting PS files without losing quality
PS is lossless, so it is a good source for any conversion. Converting it to a lossy format is where the file gets much smaller, and converting it to another lossless format keeps every pixel.
- Convert to PDF to keep every page as text and vectors; it opens on every device.
- Choose images only when a page must be a picture: PNG for text, JPG for photos.
- Several pages made into images come back as one ZIP with an image per page.
- The server accepts files up to 25 MB and converts at most the first 100 pages to images.
Convert PS files from the command line
This page uses Ghostscript, which is free for Windows, Mac and Linux. The same conversion from the command line:
gs -dSAFER -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=eps2write -dFirstPage=1 -dLastPage=1 -sOutputFile=output.eps input.psConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
PS converter FAQ
What is a PS file?
PS stands for PostScript, a document format created by Adobe in 1984. PostScript is a programming language for describing pages, made by Adobe for laser printers. A .ps file is a program that a printer or Ghostscript runs to draw each page, which is why converting it to PDF is the usual way to view or share it.
How do I open a PS file?
PS does not open in browsers; Ghostscript, Okular and Evince open it, and so did macOS Preview before Ventura. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common PS conversion?
PS to EPS is the conversion people search for most. The PS is read by Ghostscript, the standard open-source PostScript interpreter, on our conversion server and the first page is written as an EPS.
Does converting PS files here upload them?
Yes. PS conversions need Ghostscript, MuPDF, ImageMagick and Inkscape, open-source programs that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the PS converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert PS files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your PS files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several PS files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.