Software that makes placemats
Software that makes placemats
Custom placemats
As some users of this BB already know, at jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemat.html is some free software, open-source as well, that makes elegant placemats for use in a port tasting (or the like). Clearly labelled placemats really do help avoid confusion later in the evening.
The code is in PostScript, so, though reasonably well documented, isn’t really suitable for those with no computer abilities. If you fall into that category, but still want, just post in a thread, listing what you’re drinking and who will be drinking it. PM me a link to that thread. When I’m next home it will take only a few minutes to make a useful PDF.
Example output follows, albeit at reduced size.
Examples
Some examples prepared for actual tastings are at www.jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemats_list.html. (This ‘list’ edited April 2015.)
As some users of this BB already know, at jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemat.html is some free software, open-source as well, that makes elegant placemats for use in a port tasting (or the like). Clearly labelled placemats really do help avoid confusion later in the evening.
The code is in PostScript, so, though reasonably well documented, isn’t really suitable for those with no computer abilities. If you fall into that category, but still want, just post in a thread, listing what you’re drinking and who will be drinking it. PM me a link to that thread. When I’m next home it will take only a few minutes to make a useful PDF.
Example output follows, albeit at reduced size.
Examples
Some examples prepared for actual tastings are at www.jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemats_list.html. (This ‘list’ edited April 2015.)
Last edited by jdaw1 on 02:24 Sat 05 Jan 2008, edited 6 times in total.
Smaller picture done.
Smaller picture done.
Does that mean that you are using these at home, operated all by yourself? If so you are one of the few.KillerB wrote:Thanks jdaw, having used these I can confirm that they are extremely useful.
- Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14927
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
- Alex Bridgeman
- Graham’s 1948
- Posts: 14927
- Joined: 13:41 Mon 25 Jun 2007
- Location: Berkshire, UK
None of the above - I'm just slightly more flippant and significantly less serious before I have anything to drink.
Like when I wrote that previous post.
As Derek and Al-K can testify, I cannot drink a great deal and start to be the worse for wear after a few sniffs of port, let alone glasses.
Gotta go, off to meet a couple of folks from the other place for a mini-offline.
Have fun.
Al-B (aka. Cruz Ruby, currently refusing the upgrade bribe from the Creator as there must be a catch)
Like when I wrote that previous post.
As Derek and Al-K can testify, I cannot drink a great deal and start to be the worse for wear after a few sniffs of port, let alone glasses.
Gotta go, off to meet a couple of folks from the other place for a mini-offline.
Have fun.
Al-B (aka. Cruz Ruby, currently refusing the upgrade bribe from the Creator as there must be a catch)
Last edited by Alex Bridgeman on 23:35 Fri 18 Jul 2008, edited 1 time in total.
Does this mean that you have operated the PostScript┞¢?
Does this mean that you have operated the PostScript yourself?AHB wrote:… when I … open 5 or 6 bottles of port I do find that Julian's tasting mats are
********!!!AHB wrote:As Derek and Al-K can testify, I cannot drink a great deal and start to be the worse for wear after a few sniffs of port, let alone glasses.
Last edited by DRT on 22:41 Sat 30 Jun 2007, edited 1 time in total.
Such is progress.
Well, my attempt to family-friendly this BB by asking DT to edit, did indeed cause him to edit. The “o†s became “*†s. Such is progress.
jdaw1 - we need placemats sometime soon - wines t.b.c.
Derek
...and get looking for cheap flights to blighty
Derek
...and get looking for cheap flights to blighty
multiple glass pages but a single page of tasting notes
Underway. Currently a moderate hack is required to make placemats with multiple glass pages but a single combined page of tasting notes. Within the next few weeks this will become a standard feature. Advance requests welcomed.
Edit: partway through the “moderate hack” it has become clear that it isn’t “moderate”. Feature requests welcomed nonetheless.
Edit edit: the new version is now at the usual place, jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemat.html, and comment would be welcome as well as surprising.
Edit: partway through the “moderate hack” it has become clear that it isn’t “moderate”. Feature requests welcomed nonetheless.
Edit edit: the new version is now at the usual place, jdawiseman.com/papers/placemat/placemat.html, and comment would be welcome as well as surprising.
New features
Recently implemented features
Lines within the titles and subtitles:
Stars and flowers within the titles and subtitles:
Lines within the titles and subtitles:
Stars and flowers within the titles and subtitles:
Last edited by jdaw1 on 13:46 Wed 16 Jul 2008, edited 1 time in total.
DRT: deputy placemat maker
Congratulations to DRT for making the placemats for the Odd or Great tasting on 11th July 2008. So, if I’m away, and placemats are wanted, send a PM to DRT and he can cope. Your PM, as well as listing what is to be drunk, by whom, when and where, should also request that he not enable every single flamboyant feature.
- Axel P
- Taylor Quinta de Vargellas 1987
- Posts: 2028
- Joined: 08:09 Wed 12 Sep 2007
- Location: Langenfeld, near Cologne, Germany
- Contact:
Julian,
I think your support and genius on the placemats is really worth mentioning more than once.
You were so kind and helped me out at the Grahams vertical, which I did really appreciate.
Again: muito obrigado and looking forward to share the next bottle (most probably Cockburn) with you.
Cheers
Axel
I think your support and genius on the placemats is really worth mentioning more than once.
You were so kind and helped me out at the Grahams vertical, which I did really appreciate.
Again: muito obrigado and looking forward to share the next bottle (most probably Cockburn) with you.
Cheers
Axel
worldofport.com
o-port-unidade.com
o-port-unidade.com
Re: Software that makes placemats
Edit: this posted has been superseded by the relevant section of the manual.
Making Your First Placemat: Advice for Beginners
If making your first placemat, various steps will be helpful.
Making Your First Placemat: Advice for Beginners
If making your first placemat, various steps will be helpful.
- A good text editor is a boon, and it should be one that understands PostScript. On a Mac I have used Alpha X, and am now testing Aquamacs Emacs. For a PC perhaps use NotePad++, the specification of which looks encouraging, though the program has not been tested by me.
- Bookmark the manual, and download to your machine a copy of the PostScript code. Store it in a directory called ‟placemats” or ‟postscript” or the like. As a test convert the unedited unchanged PostScript to PDF, perhaps by using PS2PDF.com.
- Make a copy of the original PostScript. Give it a name that will make sense in aeons to come: perhaps YYYYMMDD.ps, or YYYYMMDD_TastingName.ps. Edit this copy of the PostScript to change, to values appropriate for your tasting, the
- page size (for this purpose my favourite of the US paper sizes being /USLegal = 14″×8½″),
- ports,
- people,
- page header.
- If it is a tasting, add a logo by changing the ThePortForumIconPlacements parameter.
- Now test some of the more flamboyant features. Play and experiment. Convert to PDF after each significant change, and admire the results.
- Choose a small subset of the decorative features to go in the final placemats. Do not choose them all, as that looks childish and horrible (this comment being aimed particularly at DRT).
- Feel free to send to me the final .ps and .pdf for comment. (Email address on jdawiseman.com/author.html.) Improvements are usually possible.
- If the tasting is being arranged via or or even , upload the PDF to the web, and post in an appropriate thread a link entitled something like ‟First draft of the placemats”. People will be impressed.
- Allow some time for comments and corrections and changes. The day before the tasting print the mats using a toner printer (not ink, as a drop of liquid causes ink to smudge).
- Enjoy the tasting.