Digital BW, The Print

David:  

I think it is more correct to say curve tweaking is a matter of 
experience and b/w art. <g>

Glad to see another Picture Windows user standup and be counted.

Jeff Randall

> > David:
> > 
> > I publish the RGB I/O values so folks CAN tweak the curves for 
them 
> > selves (it is a lot easier using Picture Windows, but that's 
another 
> > story).  I generated my 1160 partitioned curves using only a 
scanner 
> > as my densiomenter.  It can be done.  It's not rocket science.  
It 
> > only take time, paper and ink.  
> > 
> > My basic procedure for generating partitioned curves is to scan a 
21-
> > stepwedge in color with VueScan setting the WP and BP to clip the 
0 
> > and 255 patches and autolevels color balance.  I then open the 
file 
> > using Picture Windows curves/histogram feature in the HSV 
colorspace 
> > and check the location of the other 19 "peaks" across the 0-255 
range 
> > and iteratively adjust the partition curves to evenly space the 
> > peaks.  This is just manually building an inkset/printer/paper 
> > profile. 
> 
> I think I almost understand that; so if I really went at it, I
> probably would.  (And reading it again carefully it already makes 
more
> sense :-) ).  I take it that *how* you change the curves to equalize
> the steps is a matter of experience and black art?
> 
> I'm a big fan of Picture Windows myself, so I may just move my B&W
> work over there if I start doing this.  Their curves/histogram tool 
is
> *so much* better than the one in Photoshop, in particular!
> 
> I do like working in adjustment layers, though; the *other* things
> that have me in photoshop at the moment are specific to color (the
> Applied Science Fiction ROC and SHO plugins).  And the color balance
> and color correction tools in PW are really good too.  And I prefer
> the tools for converting color to monochrome in PW as well.  And I
> like the filter bank.  And I like being able to do everything in
> 16-bit.