I have a ColorMunki and a Pro9000 so may be able to help. But read the stuff on the links first.
I'm printing drum-scanned black and white negatives that are in Grayscale mode, what "Working Profile" should I be using in Photoshop ? sGray, DotGain 15%, Dot Gain 30% etc.
Adobe RGB is fine. You can use a grayscale working space but this may confuse things later. Don't use any of the "DotGain" profiles or working spaces as these are intended for commercial printing presses.
I'm printing on Hahnemuhle Albrecht Durer, I downloaded the icc profile from the hahnemule website, what is this profile for, softproofing only ?
This profile is for printing also.
On the Photoshop Print screen, I choose "let Photoshop manage colors". I can also choose a printer profile but the hahnemule one is not there. Which one should I choose ? I can also choose Print Setting which opens up the Canon setup screen, and I need to specify a Media Type. What is the difference between the Media Type on the canon screen and the printer driver used by photoshop ? Which one do I choose ?
Best read the links. If you choose to ‘Let Photoshop Manage Colours’ the key here is to ensure that the media type selected in the Canon dialogue is the same as that used by
Hahnemüehle when they made the profile. Check the Hahnemüehle website to ensure you are using the same settings as they did.
Should I base my print rendering intent on the rendering intent I selected on the proof screen in photoshop ?
Not necessarily. Soft proof allows you to view the potential results – it does not effect the final print.
If I profile my own paper, will I be making a print driver profile and a soft proof profile ?
Yes. They kind of co-exist in the same ‘profile’ file.
I understand that Media Type determines how much ink to apply based on how much a paper type absorbs inks, but how does it relate to the print driver profile ?
It doesn't relate directly to the profile but you have to make sure the print driver settings are identical to those used to produce the profile.
Yes, it seems very confusing at the start, and not all you read (especially on the internet) is that clear. The video tutorial on this website may be a good investment – I've read very good things about it but not seen it myself <http://www.luminous-landscape.com/videos/tutorials/guide_to_colour_management.shtml> . BUT, it all gets easier as you go along – reading and experimenting and trying things out – and then one day you finally get the principles of the thing ! Then of course things get esoteric – but best not go there for now !
Hope this helps.