Digital BW, The Print

This makes sense to me, and of course the driver knows what printer
I'm using (and in my  case which inks, since i'm using the standard
set) and it knows which paper I'm using, (Epson Premium Semigloss)
because I select that in the print driver as well. So while in 
color mode I'm choosing the appropriate profile for that
paper/printer in the PS Print Preview dialog (because PS doesn't
really know about my printer), in ABW I've assumed I don't
really have to worry about the print driver knowing enough
if I'm letting the printer manage the "color"-- it gets the basic
paper/ink info it needs from its own logic and settings, yes?

Incidentally, what are people seeing for a black point for ABW on
the 2400 (eg on Epson Premium Semigloss with PK)  and does
the Normal,Dark,Darker setting change this, or just 
change the other parts of the curve? I didn't quite follow the
threadon this one.....

Linda

> > The question at hand simply boils down to whether the printer
driver, when
> in Advanced B&W mode, makes use of any profile that was sent with
the image
> file (by someone selecting Let Printer Determine Colors).  I
believe it does
> not, ie that the profile is discarded and the image document is
therefore
> not ICC colour managed.  For similar reasons, Epson would not want
you to
> have PS do any colour management such that the image file is
adjusted prior
> to reaching the printer driver.  This makes a lot of sense.  The
profiles
> that are used in colour management are colour profiles and do not,
as I have
> said before, describe the stimulus-response behaviour of the
printer when
> driven in that mode.  Therefore, it does not surprise me that the
early beta
> testers of the new printers in their reviews used it in a
non-colour managed
> fashion. 
...
> Thinking
> about it further, having a conversion to at least some sort of
profile for
> the paper/ink one is using is likely better than nothing (whether
PS does it
> or otherwise).  Even if it is a colour profile then at least the
black and
> white points (and some greyscale observations) are then made use of
and some
> sort of order brought to the greyscale compression.  The image file
sent to
> the printer would still be greyscale but it's luminance would have
been
> adjusted for that of the printer - in essence a cruder version of
what QTR
> Create ICC does in a more focused manner.  This assumes of course
that the
> linearity of the printer in colour mode is consistent with that in
AB&W
> mode.  Like I said, I personally prefer to measure and profile the
latter
> directly but for those without an Eye One using the colour profile
may be of
> some help although only testing would tell.