Digital BW, The Print

Well, Austin, all I can say is "Huh?".    
All the answers seems to have missed the issue.

Roy

-----------
--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Austin Franklin" 
<darkroom@i...> wrote:
> Hi Roy,
> 
> > The main point was that the 256 levels i.e. 8-bit
> > files are only loosely connected with how many tones you 
can measure.
> 
> Measuring them or not isn't the point.  The point is, how are 
they derived,
> if they are even derived at all.
> 
> > In the original Piezo quote there's no mention of
> > input or output resolution,
> 
> I believe that on the Piezo email list, 100 tones was what the 
discussion
> was.
> 
> > I've got a "good" densitometer not the best.  So I took one of
> > the original
> > step wedges from using Piezo, put the top gradient under the 
densitometer.
> > Paper white is set at 0, the darkest was at 147.  Sliding the
> > paper gradually
> > thru the meter, the densities just count up, 0,1,2,... easily 
hitting each
> > integer value.   So not surprisingly it looks like I have 148 gray 
tones.
> 
> But did the printer intentionally print 148?  I don't believe so.  
That's
> inconsistency in the systems ability to represent a tone...and is 
an
> important part of my point.
> 
> > > > The tradeoff of gray levels versus resolution is really the 
entire
> > > > basis of what's going on in printing.  Previously in this 
discussion
> > > > there was distinction of pixels versus dots, but I think this 
is
> > > > an unnecessary and misleading distinction.  Everything 
we have as
> > > > far as Epson printers these days are pixels. The very 
smallest point
> > > > on a print can contain any of 4 or 6 different gray/black 
inks drops,
> > > > plus with variable droplet size and overprint of multiple 
drops,
> > > > there are many possible gray values.  So I would call this 
a
> > > > pixel not a dot.
> > >
> > > Yeah, but it simply isn't a pixel, unless your "image" 
contains
> > exactly the
> > > values that are possible with the inks and droplet size 
(which
> > is misleading
> >
> > What difference does it make what values they have?
> 
> Everything.  A pixel has a range of values.  A dot does not.  A 
dot is
> simply a dot...and it can only contain one of the colors of 
available ink.
> 
> > The point is
> > that there are multiple gray values.
> 
> Not for one single dot.
> 
> > The distinction
> > between pixels
> > > and dots is VERY important, or we would not be dithering, 
and
> > the printer
> > > driver does dither.
> >
> > What's the distinction?  You can and do dither either one.
> 
> You can not dither a dot.
> 
> Austin