Offending command: end

A PostScript error: dictstackunderflow; Offending Command: end can occur in Acrobat Distiller 3.x when combining multiple PS-files into a single PDF.

The problem is with epilogue.ps/prologue.ps, one of them is leaving an extra ‘end’ on the stack. If you don’t need spot colors you can turn off the prologue/epilogue option and your code should work.

Solution

This is the code I use to get around it….

%!
/prun {/mysave save def dup = flush RunFile clear cleardictstack mysave restore}def
(Macintosh HD:FM.PS) RunFile
(Macintosh HD:FM.PS) == flush
(Macintosh HD:CHAP1.PS) RunFile
(Macintosh HD:CHAP1.PS) == flush
(Macintosh HD:CHAP2.PS) RunFile
(Macintosh HD:CHAP2.PS) == flush
(Macintosh HD:CHAP3.PS) RunFile
(Macintosh HD:CHAP3.PS) == flush
%EOF

I use an applescript that creates the above code. Then all you do is drop this code on Distiller and you’re in business. It combines the PS files in the order listed, and Distiller gives messages in the windows showing its progress.