Digital BW, The Print

> ... I expect, given that this is someting I
> expect to do on a regular basis, I'll have to dig deep into my wallet
> and buy a copy of Photoshop.  It certainly is the default tool in
> almost every image editing book I've seen.  And as I understand it,
> the learning curve is quite steep.

Photoshop is the industry standard, no question about it.

However, Photoshop Elements is a good, more affordable route.  The main
things it lacks are curves and full 16 bit support.  However, there are good
but partial substitutes for the curves, and there is limited 16 bit support
-- about where full PS was a few generations back.  I bought a copy of
Elements 4 on Ebay for $50 and got a cheap digital camera for my kid for
free.  

I've started to use Elements as a baseline for my workflows so that they
will be more accessible to a larger group of enthusiasts.  Actually, its
treatment of color spaces and color management is in some ways better than
the full version for what we do here.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com