Digital BW, The Print

Steve wrote, in part:

> The notion of "middle grey" really becomes, in many ways, a bit of a moot
> point with today's ability to edit an image.
> 
> ... today we can "shift exposure" (speaking in broad terms) very easily.

I think a big change is the wider availability of high bit depth.  If you
move things around too much with a 256 step file, you're liable to lose too
much information and may well end up with an uneven print ramp (too few
steps may look like an increase is grain or as lines in a smooth gradient).
If the file is 16 bit, the 65K steps are so vast compared to what we need
that we have much more wiggle room.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com