dvips takes a DVI file file[.dvi] produced by TeX (or by some other processor such as GFtoDVI) and converts it to PostScript, normally sending the result directly to the (laser)printer. The DVI file may be specified without the .dvi extension. Fonts used may either be resident in the printer or defined as bitmaps in PK files, or a `virtual' combination of both. If the mktexpk program is installed, dvips will automatically invoke METAFONT to generate fonts that don't already exist.