Digital BW, The Print

> From: Stephen Kobrin [mailto:kobrins@...]
>
> I am unsure of what I am looking for in terms of color balance when I
> bring RAW images into PS to convert to B&W and print with UT2 inks.
> It is obvious that I want to maximize the tonal range, avoid blowing
> out highlights and get good deep blacks. (I know that I need to deal
> with some of this at the point of exposure.)  However, do I want a
> neutral, cool or warm image.  My intuition, which completely free of
> any knowledge of the topic, is that a warmer, somewhat flatter image
> is going to provide the best tonal range once I convert.  Am I
> correct?  Any advice appreciated.

Color balance is pretty meaningless if your target is B&W. You should
experiment with the Channel Mixer for different effects, and don't be afraid
to do something drastic, like using negative gains. In general, I recommend
looking at the three channels (using the channel palette) to see what sort
of detail and contrast is found in each, then (after turning all three back
on) going into the Channel Mixer and playing with mixes that emphasize that
channel. Be aware that you can get really dark skies by boosting the red
above 100% and driving the blue negative by the same amount.

Then, play with Curves to optimize the contrast range. Often a very strong S
curve is called for. Once you've done all this, any minor differences that
would have derived from choosing a different color balance in the raw
converter will have been utterly swamped out.

--

Ciao,               Paul D. DeRocco
Paul                mailto:pderocco@...