Digital BW, The Print

Hi Bill,

Shouldn't you be K7 press now?

I bought a copy of your book on Amazon. It is really useful for all us
teachers out there. If list members don't know about it - here it is
-http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Digital-Darkroom/dp/158115433X/sr=8-1/qid=1163359461/ref=sr_1_1/104-6945385-1520718?ie=UTF8&s=books
I really liked your clear approach in it.

I am finding myself agreeing with both you and Tyler. I still see the
PiezoTone as the defalt standard for monochrome output, both for the
tonal quality, but now also for their super ease of use and lack of
clogging, in even the old 1440 dpi machines, of which I have 4 now.
This is a realatively low cost solution to extremely beautiful
consistent results. I just ordered the sepia set on Friday. I hope
they are around for a long, long time.

.....And, I am simultaneously interested in what is happening with the
thermal technology of HP and Canon, but right now more in the realm of
color, and specifically glossy color. Now the thing to watch is what
WILL happen in regard to glossy monochrome.  The HP is doing a very
good job with the internal gloss optimizer channel and an onboard quad
set up. Personally I don't think the glossy fiber inkjet papers are
100% there yet, but they will be eventually. Then I'll probably want
to offer that too. As Rumsfeld described - But there are also unknown
unknowns, 
The ones we don't know 
We don't know.

As far as my own art work goes I don't see me leaving the excellent
matte rag papers with Pizo, but I never say never.

We do appear to be moving into a situation where there will be
multiple fine approaches and systems out there and depending on what
kind of work it is we want to produce for a given situation. The
danger in all this is that we'll totally buy into the notion that the
technology makes the art, which it doesn't. I think Frederick Sommer
said it very well 20 years ago when he said that in terms of
technology, photography will be come amazing, but our biggest concern
should be maintaining an attention span long enough to use the
potentials of what we have. And, not constantly looking over our
shoulder at what we don't have. Not only that... it's expensive as hell..

john