Digital BW, The Print

> ... would like to hear what others are doing to enhance
> the b/w zones and luminosity ...

> ... filter set from ... a couple of others.

I stay in Photoshop as much as possible.  I think it is a deep enough 
tool set that I can do almost everything I need to.  (And QTR does the 
rest.)  It's a long learning curve, but it's worth the investment.

I personally use, for example, PS's image adjustment curves on a 
duplicate image, visually judging the effects on one particular area, 
but also on the entire image with a overall plan for guiding the eye 
via (Lab L) tonal adjustments.  I then clone over the parts of the 
manipulated image I like.  I, in effect, paint in the luminousity 
adjustments.

Levels and its histogram are also vital.  Our medium does not have much 
dynamic range, so I use it all.

There are all sorts of ways to do these things within a single toolset -
- Photoshop.  As a former darkroom silver printer, the depth of and 
efficiency of the PS toolset is one of the main reasons I'm in digital.

FWIW

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com