Norman Koren has written a very useful article which explains how to extract the greatest tonal quality and dynamic range from your digital photos, which in turn will help you to make better prints.

“Prints made from images captured on digital cameras can have extraordinary tonal quality, comparable to the finest full-toned traditional prints. But to reach their full potential they must be processed properly, which involves changing default camera settings and moving away from standard file formats. This page covers the key steps for achieving ultimate tonal quality, which include,

- Storing images in RAW format—the image sensor’s native format,
- Converting and editing images using file formats with a bit depth of 16 (48-bit color or 16-bit B&W), and
- Using curves to adjust tones.”

Website: Norman Koren - Tonal quality and dynamic range in digital cameras