PS to TCR Converter

PostScript to TCR eBook format — convert for free

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Compact Text

PS to TCR produces ultra-compressed text files from PostScript — tiny eBooks for storage-constrained Psion devices.

Instant Output

TCR files are extremely small. PS to TCR conversion finishes almost immediately on Convertio servers.

Web Converter

No Psion software needed. Convert PS to TCR entirely online from any device with a browser.

How to convert PS to TCR

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

Choose tcr or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

Let the file convert and you can download your tcr file right afterwards

About formats

PS is the standard extension for files written in PostScript, the page description language created by Adobe Systems and first shipped in 1984 with the Apple LaserWriter. A PostScript file is a complete program that describes the precise appearance of a page — text, vector graphics, curves, fills, and even embedded raster images — using a stack-based interpreted language with full programming constructs. When sent to a PostScript-compatible printer or interpreter (such as Ghostscript), the program executes and produces rendered output. PostScript introduced cubic Bezier curves as the standard representation for smooth outlines, a mathematical model that became the foundation for virtually all subsequent vector graphics and font technology including PDF, SVG, and OpenType. The language also serves as a font format: Type 1 PostScript fonts encode glyph outlines as PostScript programs with hinting instructions for sharp rendering at low resolutions, while Type 3 fonts use the full language to define arbitrarily complex glyphs. One advantage is device independence — a PostScript file produces identical output whether rendered on a 300 dpi desktop printer, a high-resolution imagesetter, or a software rasterizer, because it describes shapes mathematically rather than as pixel grids. The human-readable text format provides another practical strength: PS files can be inspected, debugged, and modified with any text editor, and they can be generated programmatically by any software without requiring specialized libraries. PostScript files are widely handled by Ghostscript, Adobe Acrobat, preview applications, and numerous publishing and graphics tools.

Developer: Adobe Systems

Initial release: 1984

TCR (Text Compression for Reader) is a compressed plain-text ebook format developed by Barry Childress in the early 1990s for the Psion Series 3 family of palmtop computers. The format was created for Childress's Reader3 application, a text file viewer that needed to fit large books into the Psion's extremely limited storage — typically 128 KB to 2 MB of available memory. TCR uses a dictionary-based compression scheme derived from the earlier ZVR format by Ian Giddings, replacing repeated byte sequences with single-byte tokens that reference a header dictionary. This straightforward approach achieves compression ratios of roughly 40-60% on typical English prose while requiring minimal CPU resources for decompression. The Psion Series 3 ran on a 3.84 MHz NEC V30 processor with no floating-point unit, so TCR's low computational overhead was essential for smooth page-by-page reading. A key advantage is remarkable storage efficiency for its simplicity — users could carry dozens of novels on removable SSD cards that held only a few hundred kilobytes. The format found a dedicated user community among Psion enthusiasts who built libraries of compressed literature for portable reading years before smartphones existed. Though the Psion platform faded from the market in the early 2000s, TCR files can still be opened and converted by modern ebook tools, and the format stands as an early example of purpose-built mobile reading technology from the pre-smartphone era.

Developer: Barry Childress

Initial release: 1993

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PS to TCR?

TCR is a compressed text format for Psion devices. Converting PS to TCR creates ultra-compact eBooks for legacy PDA reading.

What devices use TCR files?

TCR works on Psion handheld devices, some PDA eReader apps, and can be imported by Calibre for conversion.

Is TCR compressed?

Yes — TCR uses text compression to minimize file size. It produces very small files suitable for storage-limited devices.

Is PS to TCR free?

Convertio offers free PS to TCR conversion for all users. Premium tiers unlock higher limits for batch work.

Is TCR still relevant?

TCR is a legacy format for retro computing. It remains useful for Psion device owners and text archive collections.

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PS to JPEG

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PS to EMF

PS to BMP

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PS to XPS

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PS to MOBI

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PS to FB2

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PS to WBMP

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PS to WEBP

PS to JP2

PS to ICO

PS to PDB

PS to PICT

PS to WOFF

PS to AVIF

PS to G4

PS to PCD

PS to PCT

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Specific converters

PDF to TCR

DOCX to TCR

JPG to TCR

EPUB to TCR

TXT to TCR

DOC to TCR

PNG to TCR

PPTX to TCR

HTML to TCR

FB2 to TCR

MOBI to TCR

XLSX to TCR

AZW3 to TCR

WEBP to TCR

GIF to TCR

JPEG to TCR

RTF to TCR

PPT to TCR

SNB to TCR

ODT to TCR

DXF to TCR

DJVU to TCR

EPS to TCR

PPS to TCR

BMP to TCR

CDR to TCR

AI to TCR

ICO to TCR

DST to TCR

LRF to TCR