Digital BW, The Print

> 1)  According to Paul's workflow, I should be using the
> Photoshop 5 default color settings in PS 6. This brings up the
> question as to whether I should be assigning a profile to my
> image file before I edit it. For example, if it's an RGB file, do I
> bring it in untagged (no color management) or do I assign the
> working space, i.e., sRGB? When I convert the file to grayscale,
> PS assigns the PS5 default grayscale profile, gamma 2.2. Since
> I'm on a Mac, shouldn't I be assigning it a gamma of 1.8? Should
> I be saving my grayscale file with an imbedded profile or not?

Sounds like you are scanning in RGB, then converting to Grayscale, then back
to RGB? If so you can probably skip the conversion to grayscale by using
Monochromatic in Channel Mixer.

If your sRGB is set up as your color working space in PS Color Settings
you'll be fine, you won't need to "assign" a profile, it'll be done for you.
BTW, as I use Adobe RGB as my color working space I've chosen to use it for
my VM space as well with good results.

If you do want to convert to grayscale (or if you scan in grayscale) you are
probably best served to use gamma 2.2 because sRGB is a gamma 2.2 color
space, so there'll be less shift when you convert between them.

Don't worry about the Mac "being" gamma 1.8, to my understanding that's more
convention than anything in the hardware, and even the convention has
changed. Many highend prepress people, retouchers etc, use AdobeRGB, which
is gamma 2.2 and even calibrate their monitors to 6500K, gamma 2.2.

> 2)  In the Epson Printer dialog, do any of you use the Brightness
> or Contrast sliders, or should this be left at 0?

I haven't used them but I think others do.
 
> 3) The reason for question number 2 is that my prints seem a bit
> less contrasty (particularly in the shadows) and maybe slightly
> lighter then when I view them on the monitor (I'm assuming that
> my monitor is calibrated correctly). In one of Paul's text files, he
> mentions using the Black (RGB) curve of his curve set to adjust
> for monitor to print matching. Won't this affect or alter the
> separate R-G-B curves in a non-linear fashion? Placing a point
> in the center of the Black curve should just affect the mid-tones,
> no? I just want to adjust the gamma so that my prints come out a
> bit darker, like what I see on the monitor. How do I do this?

If you want to be a purist, just make a separate adjustment layer for this
gamma tweak and set it's blend mode to luminosity. That keeps the colors
from being effected. I always make sure that Paul's VM curves are at the
topmost layer in the stack, which helps too.
 
Todd