Digital BW, The Print

In 8 bit mode that extra curve adjust(Levels) adds to your damage if 
it is done in PS, in 16 bit mode it doesn't really matter.  When you 
set your white points in scanner software you are working at the 
scanner bit depth which is typically higher than 8 bit so it is less 
damaging, even if you do use the "gamma slider" 

mark 

...
> * earlier this summer established that levels tends to degrade the 
> * image much more than a curve adjustment.
> * 
> Steve,
> 
> Yes you can but I find it easier to do it in Levels since I set the 
two
> points using the sliders based upon the information displayed by the
> histogram. What I don't use in Levels anymore and what I think 
causes people
> problems is the gamma adjustment. Changing gamma applies a curve to 
the
> image but you can't see the shape of the curve like you can using 
Curves.
> 
> So I like to do it as a two step operation of setting end points in 
Levels
> with Silverfast and shape contrast with Curves in PS. Like just 
about
> everything in digital image editing there are multiple paths to the 
same
> destination.
...