An ink loader for a solid ink imaging device comprising: an insertion port having a support, the insertion port being configured to receive a solid ink stick and enable the solid ink stick to rest on the support; at least two optical sources (124A - D) in the insertion port, the at least two optical sources being configured to emit light and being oriented to emit said light toward a location of a first face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, each of the at least two optical sources being oriented at a different angle from each other optical source of the at least two optical sources to provide different angles of reflection with respect to the first face of the solid ink stick; a first optical sensor in the insertion port, the first optical sensor being configured to receive light and being oriented to receive light emitted by the at least two optical sources that is reflected from the first face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, the first optical sensor being configured to generate a signal corresponding to an amount of said reflected light received; at least two more optical sources (144A - D) in the insertion port, the at least two more optical sources being configured to emit light and being oriented to emit said light toward a location of a second face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, each of the at least two more optical sources being oriented at a different angle from each other optical source of the at least two more optical sources to provide different angles of reflection with respect to the second face of the solid ink stick; a second optical sensor in the insertion port, the second optical sensor being configured to receive light and being oriented to receive light emitted by the at least two more optical sources reflected from the second face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, the second optical sensor being configured to generate signals corresponding to an amount of said reflected light received; and a controller operatively connected to the first optical sensor, the second optical sensor, the at least two optical sources, and the at least two more optical sources, the controller being configured to activate each of the at least two optical sources and each of the at least two more optical sources in a predetermined sequence, and identify a first feature of the solid ink stick from the signals generated by the first optical sensor and to identify a second feature of the solid ink stick from the signals generated by the second optical sensor. an insertion port having a support, the insertion port being configured to receive a solid ink stick and enable the solid ink stick to rest on the support; at least two optical sources (124A - D) in the insertion port, the at least two optical sources being configured to emit light and being oriented to emit said light toward a location of a first face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, each of the at least two optical sources being oriented at a different angle from each other optical source of the at least two optical sources to provide different angles of reflection with respect to the first face of the solid ink stick; a first optical sensor in the insertion port, the first optical sensor being configured to receive light and being oriented to receive light emitted by the at least two optical sources that is reflected from the first face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, the first optical sensor being configured to generate a signal corresponding to an amount of said reflected light received; at least two more optical sources (144A - D) in the insertion port, the at least two more optical sources being configured to emit light and being oriented to emit said light toward a location of a second face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, each of the at least two more optical sources being oriented at a different angle from each other optical source of the at least two more optical sources to provide different angles of reflection with respect to the second face of the solid ink stick; a second optical sensor in the insertion port, the second optical sensor being configured to receive light and being oriented to receive light emitted by the at least two more optical sources reflected from the second face of the solid ink stick when resting on the support, the second optical sensor being configured to generate signals corresponding to an amount of said reflected light received; and a controller operatively connected to the first optical sensor, the second optical sensor, the at least two optical sources, and the at least two more optical sources, the controller being configured to activate each of the at least two optical sources and each of the at least two more optical sources in a predetermined sequence, and identify a first feature of the solid ink stick from the signals generated by the first optical sensor and to identify a second feature of the solid ink stick from the signals generated by the second optical sensor.