Digital BW, The Print

Hello Steve,

>>It's only purpose is as stated: a general guide to provide 
>>some idea of what these papers are like.

>But requires one to have at least one of the combinations in hand.  
>To compare X with Y purely in unquantified qualitative terms...

My terms are not unquantified.  They are clearly explained: 

 "The test prints can be distinctly sorted by paper color into 
 seven shades of white, by ink color into seven shades of black, 
 and by Dmax into six grades of intensity."

This is followed by an explanation of the meaning of the output of the
measuring device (my eyes and personal impressions):

 Dmax - A Dmax value range from 1 to 6:
D1 - Poor
D2 - Fair
D3 - Good
D4 - Excellent
D5 - Excellent +
D6 - Mt Everest

This is all that is needed to interpret the results in the general
manner for which the article was intended.  

I will state it again: It is (specifically and intentionally) NOT the
purpose of the review to measure and tell what the dmax of the papers
is.  (if you didn't understand that, please read it again).  It IS the
purpose to make a relative comparison among the papers reviewed, using
a particular ink and technique (A is darker than B with Eboni BO).  It
is not a scientific study and is only meant as a general and relative
body of information for whatever it's worth to the reader.


>...requires the reader to have an understanding of either X or Y 
>as a basis for the comparison. 

True, and exactly the same can be said for a spectro reading.  I give
Eboni BO on PR a rating of 5.0, you give it 1.66.  The only way any
reader could have an impression of what either of those numbers means
is to have seen an Eboni BO PR print (or in the case of the review, an
Eboni BO print on one of the listed papers).  Once having done that
they have a point of reference.  



>I take it, though, that you're not interested 

Yes, you are correct on that.

If I was doing a scientific study a spectro would be necessary, and to
be truly scientific and useful one would have to test all inks on all
papers. But that's not what I want to do.  I am interested in helping
and encouraging beginners within the framework of my own range of
interests and experience.  I am simply offering the results of that,
FWIW, and have no desire to be an all-inclusive complete shopping mall
source of information.  I have no interest in owning or using a
spectro.  I'm trying to un-clutter my life, not add more.  

I spent years learning and internalizing the technical.  It is the
intuitive and artistic side of photography in which I am now pursuing
more deeply.  Getting into a scientific testing mode would be a
terrible distraction. 


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm