Digital BW, The Print

----- Original Message -----
From: "Todd Flashner" <tflash@...>
To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 9:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Digital BW] A conundrum


> on 1/2/03 8:58 PM, Harry Saddler wrote:
>
> > I bought a Kodak grey scale, to help me calibrate my quadtone curves. I
> > got a 21-step scale, to match the 21-step stepwedges commonly used in
> > quadtone work. But the "21-step" Kodak scale only has 20 steps! So:
> >
> > 1. Why is a 20-step scaled called "21-step", and
> > 2. Why 21 steps in the first place?
>
> Good questions.
>
> I'll venture a guess as to why 20 steps... 5% is a convenient denomination
> and 20 is not too many and not too few steps.
>
> I've no idea why they'd call it a 21 step wedge, unless it's similar to
the
> notion that the year 2001 was really the 2000th year since the birth of
> Christ...(don't ask me to explain that, it's already ruined a few holiday
> meals...)
>
Harry,

Todd's right, if you count the steps out starting with 0% and ending with
100% you get 21-steps.

The Kodak wedge would be useful for calibrating the film development and
scanning steps of the workflow if the wedge is calibrated or you have a
transmission densitometer, but it isn't going to help much on the printing
end. The 21-step wedge files will be of more use because they are
mathematically perfect.

Martin Wesley