Why aren't my psfrag substitutions occurring?

Question

I can't get simple psfrag substations go happen, and wonder if I'm missing an option or preference somewhere that will make them work.

I'm using LyX to build by document, but I have the same problem in nearly every tool I try. The only way I've been able to get substitutions to happen is by choosing Typeset > TeX and DVI in TeXShop using a MWE. But that's not were I build my actual document, and I don't think I can (and probably don't want to) make the equivalent change in LyX, where I actually work.

Is there some way I can modify the code below to so that substitutions will occur, using pdflatex (if that's even relevant)?

\documentclass{scrartcl}  
\usepackage{pstool}
\usepackage{psfrag}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}

\psfragfig*{graphA}{
    \psfrag{X}{$\epsilon$}
} 

\psfragfig{graphA}{
    \psfrag{X}{$\pi$}
} 

\psfragfig!{graphA}{
    \psfrag{X}{Q}
} 

\psfrag{X}{Help}
\includegraphics{graphA}

\end{document} 

Answer 1

To get correct typeset psfrag (and pstricks) stuff when compiling tex-->pdf directly, you should use the package auto-pst-pdf, which in a first run creates a file \jobname-pics.pdf, which collects all eps files converted to pdf embedding pstricks stuff.

You only need \usepackage{auto-pst-pdf} in your preamble.
If this -pics.pdf is created an you don't change your pics any more, you may set the option [off] to the call of \usepackage[off]{auto-pst-pdf} to get faster compilation.

To give a working exmaple:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{auto-pst-pdf}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{psfrag}

\begin{document}

Some text

{
\psfrag{P1}{$P_1$}\psfrag{a}{\alpha}
\includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{TestEps}
}

{
\psfrag{P1}{$Q=P_1$}
\includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{TestEps}
}

\end{document}

Answer 2

As you know by now, psfrag requires latex->dvips chain and will not work with pdflatex.

A possible (ugly) workaround is to create a minimal document which only includes that figure and uses psfrag to do the replacement of the labels, and compile that document with latex->dvips->pstopdf (or perhaps latex->dvipdfm), to obtain a pdf file containing only that figure. You can use also preview package to create a pdf with a page size that fits exactly the size of the included graphic.

Once you have created the pdf figure this way, you can import it in your "main" file via \includegraphics, and use pdflatex to process that file.