Digital BW, The Print

Now that is the question of the year for me! Since Photoshop CS came out I have done all 
my image alteraton in 16 bit and I have noticed a tonal difference is large files from drum 
scans especially, and even more so if I have to upsample a little as in working with smaller 
format originals ( big prints from 35). 

Does anyone know the answer to what Tyler just described???? Is it possible to send a 16 
bit file to the printer and not have the printer convert it to 8 bit on the fly? I guess this 
could be printer dependent, huh? I'm talking about the newer Epson large format 
machines. For me this seems to be the next big step for us if it is not yet possible to 
utilize 16 bit within the printing process.  We certanly need to be doing this. Roy are you 
listening,( you da man)?

John


> Whether or not some drivers or RIPs actually utilize 16 bit in is
> still not certain. Because they may accept it doesn't necessarly mean
> they use it.
> Tyler
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Pieris
> Berreitter" <pieris@y...> wrote:
> > 
> > Hm, so there are RIPs that print 16-bit images... I know QTR uses
> > 8-bit TIFFs and I assumed the Epson printer driver is 8-bit only. I
> > had assumed 16-bit workflows are only useful during manipulation, and
> > I guess that's valid unless you have a 16-bit RIP.
> > 
> > Roy made a good point that I hadn't considered: you need to (at least)
> > double the number of grays we can distinguish between to prevent the
> > eye from seeing banding in continuous-tone regions.
> > 
> > "Metrology mania" aside, I have so far not seen a case of banding that
> > couldn't be tracked back to the image file.
> > 
> > -Pieris
> > 
> > --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark"
> > <paul.roark@v...> wrote:
> > > Pieris,
> > > 
> > > >How many discrete levels of gray ... do we get out of a quadtone
> > inkjet?
> > > ...
> > > 
> > > I printed a 256 test chart with the C86 and EZ inks.  My X-Rite (DPT
> > 22) was
> > > able to measure the difference between all the steps with 2
> > exceptions.  The
> > > top and bottom 2 steps were essentially the same. 
> > > 
> > > I was amazed at how well the little printer did.
> > > 
> > > A more interesting question might be whether the most expensive
> RIPs can
> > > match the C86.
> > > 
> > > I, for sure, don't have the patience to see if one of the 16 bit
> > printing
> > > utilities (like IJC) can separate all those levels.
> > > 
> > > Paul
> > > www.PaulRoark.com