Digital BW, The Print

> It is *absolutely not true* that an inky printmaker has an infinite
> number of tones available. All bw output processes currently only output
> 8 bits or 256 tones. A quadtone system is *theoretically* capable of
> representing many more tones... 256 to the power 4 in fact, which is a
> hell of a lot, but no drivers that I am aware of address this ability.

Hi Johnny,

The PiezoPro supposedly takes 16 bit data, as does Piezo V.6...and it also
works with 6 tone printers...  People have reported on the Piezo list that
they notice a difference in using 16 bit files.

The number of tones in a halftone system is limited by the "cell" size of
the halftone algorithm (stochastic halftone algorithms aside for simplicity
of discussion), as well as the number of inks.  The cell size is a practical
limit dependant on viewability and dot size.  If you have a halftone cell
256 x 256, with a quad ink system, you are capable of 256k tones...but, you
would have a very funny print up close!  Stochastics would do a much better
job of this.

Now, whether there is any advantage to having more tones, since the human
eye can only distinguish ~100 or so tones in any given static light...is
another issue.  Perhaps a variable light source to enhance tonality ;-)

Austin

BTW, your innate understanding of things completely out of your realm never
ceases to amaze me!