Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "horstenj"
<j.h.j.h@...> wrote:
>
> Thank you all for the advice on a CMS. I'll take that into 
> consideration.
> 
> Most of you did not go into the question if a workflow for B&W would be 
> the same or similar to one for color. So may I conclude that the 
> implicit answer is "yes"? 

No, the only B&W approach that is systematically similar to color,
that would therefore use the same CM tools, would be printing B&W with
the color inkset with the straightforward color driver.
Most here are using an alternative inkset, an alternative driver (ABW
in the Epson driver qualifies also, it's not a color dirver per se),
or some combination of the above.
Monitor calibration is "CM" and applies to all of course, but a system
primarily for RGB and/or CMYK printer profiles will not likely be
relevant to a B&W printing approach. The exception would be- profilers
and drivers are getting so much better that it is possible to get
decent B&W with the color inks as mentioned above, then your cm system
and process would be the same for both. This method odes have
drawbacks though.
On the other hand, many of the approaches for B&W discussed here do
need a device for linearization, unique non-color profiling, or
calibration of some kind. Then the measurement device that came with
your system could be used, but you'd need to make sure it is supported
 by the B&W system you are using as well.
Given all that, I think the best bang for the buck is the Colorvision
suite others have discussed.
> 
> Greg,
> 
> You went a bit deeper into that"
> > 
> > The big thing is that color managment for B/W hasn't come as far as 
> CM 
> > for color has, so having an identical workflow for both color and B/W 
> > may be more difficult (and expensive) depending on how you look at 
> it, 
> > and what you want to do.
> 
> How should I read this?

Directed at Greg so I'll let him take it, but it's related to the above,
Tyler