# Pscoast -p in classic mode produces irrational plot
**URL:** https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203
**Category:** Q&A
**Created:** [September 19, 2025, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203 "2025-09-19T21:35:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SeismoMapper](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/SeismoMapper)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/1 "2025-09-19T21:35:02Z")
I’m trying to figure out how to get pscoast to plot in 3d perspective mode. What I get makes no sense at all to me - the b flag boundary looks fine (i.e. the lat lon numbers are in the correct plane) but then the boundary bars are at a completely different orientation. What is going on?
#!/usr/bin/perl
$psfn = “fig.ps”;
system “rm $psfn\n”;
system “rm gmt.history\n”;
$minlat = 3;
$maxlat = 10;
$minlon = -80;
$maxlon = -71;
$rflag2 = “-R$minlon/$maxlon/$minlat/$maxlat”;
$bflag = “-Bf1a2/f1a2”;
system “gmt pscoast $rflag2 -JM6i -S255 -p155/25/0 $bflag \> $psfn\n”;
---
### Author:  [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/2 "2025-09-19T21:49:37Z")
Why don’t you post a simple **one-liner** that can be run in any OS? You guys needless post unix scripts and I (Win user) ignore them.
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### Author:  [@SeismoMapper](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/SeismoMapper)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/3 "2025-09-19T21:51:08Z")
gmt pscoast -R-80/-71/3/10 -JM6i -S255 -p155/25/0 -Bf1a2/f1a2 \> test.ps
---
### Author:  [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/4 "2025-09-19T22:05:03Z")
See? So much better. And even better (not painting ocean as white too)
```auto
gmt pscoast -R-80/-71/3/10 -JM6i -S155 -p155/25/0 -Bf1a2/f1a2 -png lixo
```
---
### Author:  [@SeismoMapper](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/SeismoMapper)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/5 "2025-09-21T20:25:43Z")
> [@Joaquim](#):
>
> `gmt pscoast -R-80/-71/3/10 -JM6i -S155 -p155/25/0 -Bf1a2/f1a2 -png lixo`
This is what I get - but I think the difference is that I’m outputting to ps and opening in illustrator, and you’re outputting to png.
---
### Author:  [@SeismoMapper](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/SeismoMapper)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2025, 8:30pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/6 "2025-09-21T20:30:03Z")
It’s even wackier if I add in coastlines:
gmt pscoast -R-80/-71/3/10 -JM6i -S155 -W2 -p155/25/0 -Bf1a2/f1a2 \> test.ps
---
### Author:  [@mkononets](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/mkononets)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2025, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/7 "2025-09-21T20:46:11Z")
> [@SeismoMapper](#):
>
> gmt pscoast -R-80/-71/3/10 -JM6i -S155 -W2 -p155/25/0 -Bf1a2/f1a2 \> test.ps
not confirming this issue.
can open `test.ps` using `gv` or `xreader`, looks properly, same way as Joaquim’s png above.
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### Author:  [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2025, 10:31pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/8 "2025-09-21T22:31:24Z")
Confess that I have no idea of where that behavior is coming from.
---
### Author:  [@seisman](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/seisman)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2025, 1:51am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/9 "2025-09-22T01:51:24Z")
I also can’t reproduce the issue. Please confirm that you’re using the latest GMT version.
---
### Author:  [@Esteban82](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Esteban82)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2025, 12:12pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/10 "2025-09-22T12:12:22Z")
I also can’t reproduce the issue in ubuntu.
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### Author:  [@SeismoMapper](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/SeismoMapper)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2025, 12:46pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/11 "2025-09-22T12:46:29Z")
I’m using GMT 6.5.0. But it sounds like it’s an illustrator problem? Maybe we add it to the list, along with the greyed out NaNs?
---
### Author:  [@Joaquim](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Joaquim)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2025, 2:41pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pscoast-p-in-classic-mode-produces-irrational-plot/6203/12 "2025-09-22T14:41:34Z")
When you do like in my example the PS file is converted to png by ghostscript. There is no Illustrator involved in the process.