Software that makes placemats
Re: Software that makes placemats
Personally on the latest iteration for the Rebello Valente tasting, I think the droplets detract from the classic nature of the placemat and is like a very light version of Pollock’s number 14. I am all for pimping up the mats but this one is not for me... thoughts?
Re: Software that makes placemats
I’d like to know what others think.Doggett wrote: ↑20:55 Thu 21 Nov 2019Personally on the latest iteration for the Rebello Valente tasting, I think the droplets detract from the classic nature of the placemat and is like a very light version of Pollock’s number 14. I am all for pimping up the mats but this one is not for me... thoughts?
Some food for thought.
• From the log page of the Rebello Valente placemats: “Droplets will cover approximately 7.3% of non-margin bare page (ignoring overlaps and hollow inners, assuming no sharp turns, etc).”
• Thoughts on other decorative things? E.g.,:
◊ Spirals, Messias tasting 23 Oct 2019:


◊ CrossHatching, 1994 tasting on 11 June 2019:


◊ Flowers, Blind and Informal tasting on 21 May 2019:


◊ Stars, DRT’s Annual Elixir tasting on 26 Mar 2019:


Re: Software that makes placemats
Quite liked the spirals, flowers and crosshatching. Not sold on the stars but the bold defining of the main elements is good to my taste a la Flowers.
Re: Software that makes placemats
I like all of the above for different reasons. But if I'm honest, I probably won't use these features. We're pretty basic with our placemats and are very happy with just the core functionality.
I might try spirals (or anything else that fills the circle) some time. For some reason filling the glasses circle is more appealing to me than filling the empty space between glasses.
I might try spirals (or anything else that fills the circle) some time. For some reason filling the glasses circle is more appealing to me than filling the empty space between glasses.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
Is this a quirky feature of Simon and our American cousins (and hence perhaps ignorable), or is this a general preference?
Flowers not so different to the Stars (compare this use of Hearts). Why the different preference?
I seek guidance.
Reminder: many many placemats shown at the list of placemats.
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Re: Software that makes placemats
DittoDoggett wrote:Quite liked the spirals, flowers and crosshatching. Not sold on the stars but the bold defining of the main elements is good to my taste a la Flowers.
Re: Software that makes placemats
It is such a mild preference for me - on a feature that I'm not likely to use anyway - that it can be safely ignored, at least as far as I'm concerned.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Software that makes placemats
Is it the shape of the flowers versus that of the stars? Or is it that in the examples above the stars are pale on pale, whereas the flowers are pale on dark?
Compare, for example, the 1963 horizontal on 10 April 2018.


Or, similar, the Cockburn vertical on 02 Oct 2018.


Compare, for example, the 1963 horizontal on 10 April 2018.


Or, similar, the Cockburn vertical on 02 Oct 2018.


Re: Software that makes placemats
I tend to prefer a single pattern on a set of placemats - or at least a coherent one; so:
- outline or solid wording, with pattern filling in circles and clear background
- outline or solid wording, with clear circles and pattern filled background
- pattern-filled wording, with clear circles and clear or same/related pattern background
So, for example, when a pattern is used in the background (rays, diagonals, spirals, sperm and others) I prefer empty circles; or vice versa. Matching background and text-fill can be good (complementary might also work well).
Where a pattern is used to fill the circle, it should not also fill the text, which should then be clear or solid; noting this is as per your Messias example above, but not always per previous placemats.
Am not keen on gray-and-pattern-filled text (such as flowers example, or stars example), nor black-and-pattern filled text.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Please post some examples (the dates would suffice) of near-fails and only-just-successes.PhilW wrote: ↑20:40 Mon 25 Nov 2019I tend to prefer a single pattern on a set of placemats - or at least a coherent one; so:
- outline or solid wording, with pattern filling in circles and clear background
- outline or solid wording, with clear circles and pattern filled background
- pattern-filled wording, with clear circles and clear or same/related pattern background
Thank you.
Re: Emergency-Tuesday 28 January 2020
My bugs, or yours? (E.g., spacing in Circlearrays. E.g., the table of contents has a link to the log page, but there isn’t a log page — was it removed in a post-process rather than by /OutputLogToPage false def? Please send me the code.)
This post moved by jdaw1 from its organisation thread, re Tue 28 Jan 2020.
Re: Emergency-Tuesday 28 January 2020
I noticed both the spacing thing, and the lack of log page. Will email the .ps.
The spacing thing I think is my doing. I think I used initials in more than one circlearrays field.
This post moved by jdaw1 from its organisation thread, re Tue 28 Jan 2020.
Last edited by flash_uk on 00:20 Wed 29 Jan 2020, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Score one each.
The empty strings explain the weird gaps.
But the absence of a log page was a failure of the author of the code to realise that there was a difference in behaviour between Adobe Distiller and Ghostscript. Fixed. Apologies.
Code: Select all
/Circlearrays [
[ (NAC) () (NAC) ]
[ (IDJ) () (IDJ) ]
[ (MPM) () (MPM) ]
[ (Dagger) () (Dagger) ]
[ (Double Dagger) () (Double Dagger) ]
] def
But the absence of a log page was a failure of the author of the code to realise that there was a difference in behaviour between Adobe Distiller and Ghostscript. Fixed. Apologies.
Re: Software that makes placemats
Next question, is about branding, but likely as not the most consistent usage is in the software and its output.
Are we PascalCase (www.ThePortForum.com) or camelCase (www.thePortForum.com)? Current usage is PascalCase; but there would be less need for kerning with camelCase.
Currently we use PascalCase:
Preference? Comment?
Are we PascalCase (www.ThePortForum.com) or camelCase (www.thePortForum.com)? Current usage is PascalCase; but there would be less need for kerning with camelCase.
Currently we use PascalCase:

Preference? Comment?
Re: Software that makes placemats
I prefer PascalCase, as it reinforces the often used acronym TPF. Where would the kerning difference happen with camelCase? Around the first dot?
Re: Software that makes placemats
Yes: “.T” needs kerning; “.t” doesnʼt, or at least, it matters much less.
Re: Software that makes placemats
During the Emergency at 67 Pall Mall on 25 February 2020, Neil, and perhaps others, asked that the parameter NeckTagsHoleRadius be larger. Currently its default is 42.52pt ≈ 15mm, so a diameter of 3cm. What size is wanted?
Suggestion: 54pt = 19.05mm, so a diameter of 38.1mm. Comment?
Suggestion: 54pt = 19.05mm, so a diameter of 38.1mm. Comment?
Re: Software that makes placemats
I’ve decided that the code should exist in a proper repository, to allow submission and discussion of issues, to allow others to contribute to the PostScript, and for better death-proofing. Hence ∃ github.com/jdaw1/placemat.
Two issues ask a question of GitHub experts (Software licence; Documentation: HTML or Markdown or other?). If you can answer, please do.
Two issues ask a question of GitHub experts (Software licence; Documentation: HTML or Markdown or other?). If you can answer, please do.
Re: Software that makes placemats
The move to GitHub is complete. If you have published links to this software, please update them to:
• http://github.com/jdaw1/placemat/
• http://github.com/jdaw1/placemat/blob/m ... lacemat.ps
• http://raw.githubusercontent.com/jdaw1/ ... lacemat.ps
as appropriate.
• http://github.com/jdaw1/placemat/
• http://github.com/jdaw1/placemat/blob/m ... lacemat.ps
• http://raw.githubusercontent.com/jdaw1/ ... lacemat.ps
as appropriate.
Re: Software that makes placemats
In perusing this thread for outstanding issues, this was seen.jdaw1 wrote: ↑23:12 Sat 09 Aug 2014Do any programmers know whether there would be sufficient advantages in moving my code to SourceForge.net? My prior is ‘no’, but I’m willing to be persuaded otherwise.
Re: Software that makes placemats
This thread was once the discussion place for the placemat software: where requests were made and bugs reported. That place is now github.com/jdaw1/placemat/issues/. Indeed, it has been more than 1½ years since somebody other than me posted in this thread.
It is currently an ‘Announcement’ thread, meaning that it is in a separate section at the top of the list of threads. It is being demoted to a ‘Standard Topic’. Git-phobes may still use it for the old purposes, but henceforth this thread will be less visible.
It is currently an ‘Announcement’ thread, meaning that it is in a separate section at the top of the list of threads. It is being demoted to a ‘Standard Topic’. Git-phobes may still use it for the old purposes, but henceforth this thread will be less visible.
Re: Software that makes placemats
There is, perhaps, a reason for this - being the rather reduced number of tastings held in the last 18 months due to circumstances (as well as other factors such as code maturity etc, per your point).
Re: Software that makes placemats
Everybody loves a pork pie tasting.

These pork-pie placemats were made by an abuse of the parameters, and there is discussion about whether their production should be regularised. Comment welcome, ideally in issue 153.

These pork-pie placemats were made by an abuse of the parameters, and there is discussion about whether their production should be regularised. Comment welcome, ideally in issue 153.