Rating: 
Summary: Not appropiate for the typical photographer/printer
Review: I've scanned through most of the past Amazon reviews of this book and I find it surprising at how different my opinion is. I have in fact read the whole book cover to cover and I own a $1000 digital camera and a $200 inkjet printer and I have as a hobbyist done a tremedous amount of printing using this type of middle class printing. So I thought a book on the subject would help fill in some holes in my knowledge. In a nutshell my problem with this book is that it is without a doubt not meant for someone like me using this "middle class" tools. I found the book incredibly elitist, the only thing I really learned was I must buy more & better equipment to be a real artist - what I have isn't good enough apparently. For example apparently you need at least 8 megapixels to print an 8x10? My other main issue is that after having read the entire book, when I go to print an image nothing has changed at all - I still do everything exactly the same simply because none of the information in the book applied to me unless I buy thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands dollars worth of additional gear - and in general there was no info on how to use this gear specifically either - just you should have it. I've read an enormous amount of technical books over the years and on average most are great in that they strive to empower the reader with the skills and knowledge to achieve better things - but this book seems to achieve the reverse - unempowering the reader with lists and graphs and photos of things you can't ever possibly obtain. It's quite unique.
So honestly if you're a regular human being who has a camera and printer then this book is really not intended for you. The book's title and back cover do indicate otherwise, there's a photo of a consumer digital camera and nice write up that sounds like it'll apply to you in the same way a fortune cookie is vague. The experience level is also listed at beginner to expert in an attempt to net as many potential buyers as possible.
Who would this book be good for? Perhaps if you are working or beginning to work in a professional print shop that has many professional fine artist clients - this would be a good buy. Or if you're rich and can buy anything you feel like, this would serve as a good catalog. The other advantage if you're rich is you get to be a "real" artist. There were a few parts I did like, one section of 5 pages had a really good overview of the steps to take in color managing your system - if you have the gear of couse, but nonetheless it was useful to know. Unfortunately many chapters just feel entirely useless, the author seems obessed with print permanence which is how long prints will last, he goes on and on about it, always avoiding specifics and generalizing and stressing the importance of performing your own permanence tests and although it is useful on one level it could of been 4 pages not 35. At one point he suggests if you don't have time to perform your own tests you can contract out your permanence testing - does this sound like you? If so I recommend this book to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Required Reading !!! More than just printing !
Review: If you are a photographer making the transition from film to digital technology this book is for you. Don't be fooled by the title: this book offers an excellent overview of all aspects of digital imaging. I don't care how much you think you know, you will learn from this book.
Rating:
Summary: The most comprehensive approach
Review: It's a printing classic in the world of digital arts. Mastering Digital Printing is useful for all levels of users and in spite of its technical approach, the book is written in a simple, attractive language making it interesting to read and understand. It is supported with the beautiful pictures helping user to get thorough with the subject. Truly the great road map towards digital printing.
Rating:
Summary: The One Book for Epsonians based in US
Review: The author forgot to mention in the foreword that the world is composed only of Americans using Epson printers, I am afraid. Should I live in US, I would award the book the usual five stars, on the other hand. But - if you are not a US citizen and, worse yet, believe that there are other printer brands than Epson, you have been warned.
Rating:
Summary: Major updating in second edition
Review: The second edition of Mastering Digital Printing is a major updating and rewrite with important new material and photographs. Harald Johnson provides artists with a wide array of in-depth and up-to-date information they need to make considered choices in the process of mastering inkjet printing. For both the beginner and advanced printer there is no better source.
Dorothy Simpson Krause
Rating:
Summary: Informative & Engaging
Review: This book does a teriffic job of making a complex subject easy to understand without "dummying down" the content. Very well written with excellent illustrations. Best text I have found on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: very highly recommended
Review: This book is a great blend of an overview of the subject and a how-to-do-it with lots of valuable insights. Color management, inks and papers, making a print step-by-step, print longevity...tons of good stuff. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Where has it been hiding till now?
Review: This book is the first really comprehensive work on how to print photographs on workstation printers. It explains how to choose and evaluate various kinds of printers, inks and papers, color management, resolution, and all the other tricks of the trade needed to output the best quality possible for any given image.
The author doesn't talk down to the novice or forget the needs of the professional. He writes in an easy to read style, with excellent explanations of the technical and advanced issues. In fact, this has been the first computer book I've read from cover to cover since beginning to use computers back in 1985.
My only complaint is, "Where has it been all my life?"
Rating:
Summary: The Digital Printing Book You've Been Waiting For
Review: This is a fantastic book whose primary audience would be the digital photographer wishing to make their own prints. The book includes an overview of digital technology and primers on image editing, color management and print permanence. The heart and soul of the book is the section dealing with inkjet printing. This is really the part that makes this book special. Reading it will save you untold hours of frustration as you try to master digital printing. I would include this book as one of maybe three or four books that should be essential reading to anyone trying to learn the ropes of digital imaging and the primary one dealing with printing.
Rating:
Summary: What you need to know--in a way you can understand.
Review: This is a superb book, not only for what it covers but for the clear and reasoned way the author explains things. There are plenty of computer books, like the Real World series, that take things that are inherently complex and make them incomprehensible. Mastering Digital Printing takes a different approach by telling you the state of the art and what you need to know, while explaining this in layman's terms. What I especially like is the common sense approach he takes to issues like color management and permanence. People would be well advised to take his advice, enjoy making prints and remember that Giclee is just a synonym for expensive inkjet print. The only thing I question is the point made on pg. 185 that you should be concerned that images stored on CDRs will not be accessible in the future. Its true that SyQuest drives have gone by the wayside. But CDs are ubiquitous and there will be ample opportunity to transfer files to whatever comes along, long before the last CD or DVD drive dissapears.
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