Digital BW, The Print

Martin & Paul,

I have a work-around for combing of the histograms that use routinely 
for color images. I have noticed that whenever I use adjustment 
layers (in 8 bit), say for instance a gradient to darken the skies or 
lighten the foreground, the histogram can be severely combed. What I 
do is flatten the layers. Then convert to 16 bit. The histogram will 
still be combed. Then I res-up (bicubic) twice in 10% increments. The 
combing will be gone(!). Then res-down back to your print size. Try 
it, it works. To my eyes, there is no image deterioration in the 
final print.

Shilesh

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Paul Roark" 
<paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> Martin,
> 
> You wrote:
> 
> >...
> >One thing that does happen is when applying an RGB separation 
curve like
> >Paul's, is some "combing" or lose of the image's data. Generally 
this is
> not
> >a problem but if you already have combing in the image from strong
> >adjustments the addition of the separation curve can push it over 
the edge.
> 
> >[One]... solution would be to work in 16-bit mode rather than 8-
bit mode
> ...
> 
> Here is a second possible solution.
> 
> I used to have the problem of lost grayscale in another setting, 
and I
> discovered a workflow that actually fills in the holes in the 
histogram
> "comb" with reasonable success.  It may sound a bit weird, but give 
it a
> try.  Here is the procedure (that I just suggested another person 
try):
> 
> To "fill in the gaps" of a histogram, for example, to smooth skies, 
etc., by
> filling in tone values where there are gaps, try this procedure.  
The basic
> idea is to make copies of the file in question -- perhaps in this 
case after
> the application of the curves -- and then use blur on one copy and 
sharpen
> on the other copy.  (These functions actually fill in the 
histogram "comb" a
> bit.)   Then combine all the copies (apply, normal mode, 50% for 
the first
> combination, 33% for the third image).  By using both blur and 
sharpen on
> different copies, the visual effects of the sharpening and blurring 
are
> offset.  It might be about as effective to just make one copy and 
use blur
> on it, and sharpen on the original.
> 
> Give it a try and let us know if it helps.
> 
> Paul
> http://www.PaulRoark.com