Digital BW, The Print

I sent a 720 ppi file to my 1280 then resampled it to 360 and printed
it again. No difference to my naked eye, possible miniscule
differences with a very good loupe but it's a hard call. 

It was a very sharp detailed 6x7 neg scanned at 3200 ppi in a Minolta
MultiPro. I sized it to 8x10 and it's native resolution was 896 ppi. I
then downsampled it to 720 ppi in PS and printed it on my 1280 using
Eboni BO on EEM at 2880 dpi. I marked the print on the back. Then I
downsampled the file to 360 ppi in PS and reprinted it the same. The
only difference was one sent to the printer as 720 ppi, the other at
360 ppi. No visual difference from the Epson driver upsampling the 360
ppi back to 720 for printing. 

My experience had already told them that there was nothing to be
gained from scanning at a rez tht yeilded more than 360 ppi at the
print size but I had to try the same image both ways. FWIW, I see
almost no diffeence printing 2880 & 1440 dpi. 

Now I'm more a "way the prints look" analytical type than a scientific
one. My memory of the "scientific method" was 40+ years ago in school.
Someone tell me if my approach is valid? Sometime I will download
Ernst's suggested test targets and try. But I already know I'm more
interested in printing quality images than quality test targets. 

Bob Michaels