Digital BW, The Print

Well, I guess it's just the diehards in here on a holiday weekend

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Antonis Ricos"
<antonisphoto@y...> wrote:
> .......someone in Martin's position would spend 
> thousands just to gain an approximate screen preview - which for
mono is 
> very secondary to me.

Dan could say more, but here are the advantages I see to it, only
available in PS6, though there is a PS5 workaround for RGB 
softproof.
After "assigning" the profile to a grayscale step wedge (or other
useful file) that has been converted to RGB, one can create 
very good curves by watching the grayscale info pallette as you work.
Because of how PS6 reports those numbers back 
through the profile and converted back to grayscale, it's very
accurate. So curve development, which is so important, 
simplified dramatically and is very accurate.
The softproofing isn't that important to me either. But you could use
it during editing by setting it up as your custom 
softproof profile on a grayscale file converted to RGB. Have your sep
curves as a top adjustment layer while doing your 
overall adjustments to the file. Some people might like that
approach. Or, some might prefer to customize the sep curves 
on a per image basis. If profiles are worked out for variable tone
inks, you could preview your image tone options per 
image.
I prefer to do my edits in grayscale and develop a quad workflow that
converts and separates as accurately as possible. 

 snip
> That's right. The key here is that you already had the hardware as
many who 
> do high-end color work would. But what if someone is only doing
quad and 
> not planning on seing big profits come in right away? What is cost
efficient at 
> the 1,000-2,000 mark? Everyone's threshold of pain will differ...

One option that hasn't been discussed, have a custom profile made for
you, much cheaper. You will confound the people 
doing it for you, and maybe their software as well, but if it works
you're there.
Then you can get on with printing, which is what it's all about.
Tyler