Digital BW, The Print

on 5/21/02 11:34 PM, Martin Wesley wrote:

> While it is possible to work around the 8-bit limit and make all of your
> adjustments in 16-bit mode, it is not as easy as working in 8-bit. Dan's
> remarks are unfortunate in that they will then to discourage Adobe from
> giving us full editing features in 16-bit. Something I feel would be of
> great benefit for B&W. With 16-bit editing we would all spend a lot less
> time tweaking and struggling with the delicate tones in our prints.

I fully agree with you that I'd love fully functional 16-bit editing. And
when that happens there'll be no funny little debates, and Dan's challenge
will be a quaint reminder of our current technological immaturity.

But Russell Williams, who is a PS developer, has spoken plainly about this
on more than one list, and well before Dan Margulis spoke to the issue. His
apology is that the PS development team has limited manpower and man-hours,
and highbit editing is pretty low on their priority list compared to more
mundane enhancements like spell checkers, type effects, web effects, neat
filters, OS support, and the like.

Sadly, fine art photographers, or whoever of us who desire the utmost in
image quality, are a niche market for Adobe, compared to everyday web and
print designers.

But so too is the case for us as BW printers, in a color printer's world.
So, much as Epson now incrementally includes BW capabilities in their
printers, so too does Adobe include 16-bit editing in their program - bit by
stinking bit (hideously tacky pun intended ;-)

Todd