PSAdobe

PSAdobe is an open-source software framework and toolchain designed to provide a standards-based implementation of Adobe's PostScript and PDF technologies. It offers a rendering engine, font handling, color management, and conversion utilities to integrate vector graphics capabilities into applications across platforms.

The project originated in the early 2010s as a collaboration between researchers and developers from universities and independent companies to create an open alternative to proprietary software for rendering PostScript and PDF content. The first stable release appeared in 2014. Ongoing development is community-driven with governance by a core team and a public roadmap.

Its modular architecture includes a core renderer, a font subsystem supporting Type 1, TrueType, and CFF fonts, an ICC color management module, and input/output components for PostScript, PDF, EPS, and vector graphics. The project provides a scripting API and language bindings, along with plugin support for annotations, rasterization, and image formats.

PSAdobe is used by document viewers, publishing workflows, and conversion tools to render and export graphics across formats. The project emphasizes adherence to industry standards and aims to deliver accurate, loss-minimized rendering. It is widely used in academic and open-source contexts, with ongoing efforts to support newer specifications.

Related topics include PostScript, PDF, Ghostscript, MuPDF, and font technology.