Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Douglas meeuwsen 
<lipshurt@m...> wrote:
> I am using gamma 1.8 on my mac.....Is that why I use the "normal"  
> setting in the ABW mode, which works great. Other people use the  
> "darker" setting, which is the default.

I would guess that's the reason "normal" looks like your screen.  
Although Epson doesn't say it, I think these settings are differences 
in gamma.  I've seen the native ABW curves in doing icc profiles for 
the ABW settings.  The "light" setting has a fairly significant, but 
smooth gamma sag, probably a gamma of 1.5.  Epson days these settings 
determines print "softness," which is probably Epsonese for gamma.  
Too bad they don't communicate more fully and accurately--we might 
not even need this forum.  So my gamma guess from "light" 
to "darkest" is: 1.5 (light), 1.8 (normal), 2.0 (dark), 2.2 (darker)
and 2.5 (darkest).

> So are they using 2.2? It looks like epson made the "normal, dark,  
> darker, and darkest settings to compensate for gamma....correct?
> 
I think most people are using 2.2 for gray space, and this is also 
the gamma of Adobe RGB.  I understand that 2.2 is now also the 
standard for MACs