[clue-tech] gimp CMYK follow-up

[Timothy Klein]

On Dec 31, 2004, at 7:20 PM, Michael J. Hammel wrote:
> Is that 12 bits per channel in hardware?  If so that would probably
> require 16 bit channels to be lossless but if its actually 8 bit in
> hardware and 12 bits in software then it probably doesn't matter 
> (though
> it might help).  Don't hold me to that - it's just something I've been
> told in the past.

Most "high-end" digital imaging equipment is 12 bit (or more?) 
hardware.  All of the nice digital SLRs are 12 bit, I think, and maybe 
some of the expensive point-and-shoots.  Even my Epson flatbed scanner 
is 12 bit hardware, per channel (and it was cheap, $100 consumer gear). 
  My crappy slide scanner is 10 bits per channel.

>> It is interesting to note that professional photographers and 
>> Photoshop
>> gurus recommended submitting TIFF files with 8-bits per pixel for 
>> print
>> publication.
>
> It is the most common, full color and alpha channel supporting, 
> lossless
> format for raster images.  Inkjet printing is not continuous tone
> printing so 8 bits per channel is fine.  High end printers are
> continuous tone but full color prints on those are expensive.  For all
> but the most high end work, 8 bits is probably sufficient.

I have not had occasion to use it much due to time and money 
constraints, but from what I have read those into serious digital 
photography treat 12 or 16 bit per channel color as a big deal.  Even 
though most photogs save their final files at 8 bit, apparently the 
extra information in 16 bit makes a very big difference in filters that 
one might apply before saving the file as 8 bit.  This is actually one 
of the main reasons I just bought a Mac, so that I can do this (and 
ICC) in Photoshop without using Windows.  Now I just need to wait until 
later this year when I get a job again, and can that Nixon DSLR I 
want... (I just can't seem to be bothered with film any more, even in 
my really nice F5 film SLR.  That's a couple thousand dollars going to 
waste).

Tim
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Timothy Klein: tecce at silverklein.net
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Hello_World.c:  17 Errors, 31 Warnings