Convert ART to PS — Free Online Converter
Convert AOL Compressed Image (.art) to PostScript (.ps) online for free. Fast, secure image conversion with no watermarks or registration....
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How to Convert
Upload your .art file by dragging it into the upload area or clicking to browse.
Choose your output settings. The default settings work great for most files.
Click Convert and download your .ps file when it's ready.
About ART to PS Conversion
PostScript (PS) is Adobe's page description language, used primarily in professional printing workflows and prepress environments. Converting AOL's proprietary ART images to PostScript is a specialized operation that bridges the gap between vintage internet content and professional publishing systems. ART files, born of the dial-up era's bandwidth constraints, contain image data compressed with Johnson-Grace's proprietary wavelet algorithm.
This conversion enables ART images to be incorporated into PostScript-based print workflows, embedded in EPS illustrations, or processed through RIP (Raster Image Processor) systems that consume PostScript input. While uncommon, this path is relevant for graphic designers and print professionals who need to include recovered AOL-era imagery in professional publications.
Why Convert ART to PS?
PostScript is the foundation of professional printing — most commercial printing workflows, high-end laser printers, and prepress systems speak PostScript natively. Converting ART to PS allows recovered AOL images to flow directly into these professional pipelines without intermediate format conversions that print operators might need to handle manually.
PS files also serve as a self-contained, resolution-independent page description that can be sent directly to any PostScript-compatible printer. This is useful when you need to produce physical prints of historical AOL imagery for museum exhibitions, academic publications, or archival documentation projects.
Common Use Cases
- Include recovered AOL-era imagery in professional print publications and magazines
- Send historical AOL images directly to PostScript-compatible commercial printers
- Embed ART conversions in EPS illustrations for prepress workflows
- Generate print-ready files from AOL archives for museum or gallery exhibitions
- Process recovered AOL images through PostScript-based RIP systems for large-format printing
How It Works
ImageMagick decodes the ART wavelet data and generates a PostScript Level 2 file containing the image as an embedded raster. The pixel data is encoded using ASCII85 encoding within the PS file for efficient text-safe representation. Page dimensions default to the image size at 72 DPI, but can be scaled to fit standard page sizes. The resulting PS file is both a valid PostScript program and a printable page.
Quality & Performance
The image quality in the PostScript output matches the decoded ART source exactly when using the default binary embedding. ASCII85 encoding is a lossless transport encoding that does not affect image quality. DCT compression within PostScript (equivalent to JPEG) can optionally be applied to reduce file size, but for maximum fidelity the lossless encoding is preferred.
Device Compatibility
| Device | ART | PS |
|---|---|---|
| Windows PC | Partial | Partial |
| macOS | Partial | Partial |
| iPhone/iPad | Partial | Partial |
| Android | Partial | Partial |
| Linux | Partial | Partial |
| Web Browser | No | No |
Tips for Best Results
- 1Use Ghostscript to verify the PS output renders correctly before sending to expensive commercial printers
- 2Set the DPI to 300 if the PS file will be used for print production rather than screen display
- 3Convert PS to PDF using Ghostscript for easier distribution while maintaining print quality
- 4Include PostScript comments with the original ART file provenance for print production traceability
- 5For batch operations, generate one PS file per ART image rather than multi-page documents for flexibility
Converting ART to PostScript connects AOL's abandoned image format with professional printing infrastructure, enabling recovered images to flow into commercial print and prepress workflows.