PostScript

PostScript: n.  A Page Description Language ({PDL}),
   based on work originally done by John Gaffney at Evans and
   Sutherland in 1976, evolving through `JaM' (`John and Martin',
   Martin Newell) at {XEROX PARC}, and finally implemented in its
   current form by John Warnock et al. after he and Chuck Geschke
   founded Adobe Systems Incorporated in 1982.  PostScript gets its
   leverage by using a full programming language, rather than a series
   of low-level escape sequences, to describe an image to be printed
   on a laser printer or other output device (in this it parallels
   {EMACS}, which exploited a similar insight about editing tasks).
   It is also noteworthy for implementing on-the fly rasterization,
   from Bezier curve descriptions, of high-quality fonts at low (e.g.
   300 dpi) resolution (it was formerly believed that hand-tuned
   bitmap fonts were required for this task).  Hackers consider
   PostScript to be among the most elegant hacks of all time, and the
   combination of technical merits and widespread availability has
   made PostScript the language of choice for graphical output.