8 bits/ch vs 16 bits/ch in PS

In Photoshop you can click on Image>Mode>8 Bits/Channel or 16 Bits/Channel.
Why not always select 16 Bits/channel? Won't this give you more accurate
color?

 

Because in versions prior to CS, most of the tools are disabled in 16bit
mode.

 

A qualified yes on the more accurate color.

Why not:
Many file formats don't support 16 bits/color (jpeg)
The files are twice as big
Prior to CS, many PS tools didn't work in 16 bits/color
Many other image manipulation programs don't work with 16 bits/color images

 

If the picture is not already in 16 bpc colour, converting it will do
nothing for the picture at all. If you scan or have a digital that uses a
more colour depth, then use 16 bpc. Be sure to convrt to 8 bpc either after
colour correction or before printing. 16 bit images have limitations even
with the new Photoshop CS, and if you let the printer program do the
conversion to 8 bit it will probably do a very poor job of it.
Any image for the web must be in 8 bits before it can be made into a jpg.
While you probably can send 16bpc channel images to others, they would be
very large, and the people you send it to would need a program that supports
16 bits to use the image.
You won't see any difference between 8 and 16 bits on your monitor (save
with a couple very expensive graphics monitors) so there is little point in
sending that way - unless the person recieving the image is going to colour
correct it.
Here is an article on using high bit images:
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/mani/digi/mhibit.html
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http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html

 

[snip]

[snip]

In the case of PS, not true. PS has a built-in fail-safe (as it does when
it won't allow you to double convert to the same profile or working space.)

They will look exactly the same (I've tried it ~ by mistake) since, as Chris
Cox explained, PS just dithers to 8 bit prior to sending the file to the
printer. In other programs that are high-bit capable, however, you may be
right.

 

I think it will also depend on the printer.

--
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from my novel "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html