Patent ID: 7758146

Claim:
A method for printing a compensation pattern usable to determine a difference in gray level between an actual gray level value and an intended gray level value at a cross-process-direction image-forming device pixel location in an image formed using an image forming device, comprising: printing a plurality of gray level portions arranged separately along a process-direction that is substantially perpendicular to the cross-process-direction, each gray level portion having a gray level that is different from the other gray level portions and extending over a plurality of cross-process-direction pixel locations along the cross-process-direction, the plurality of gray level portions arranged along the process direction, printing a first set of alignment marks adjacent to a first end of the plurality of gray level portions, the first set of alignment marks having a plurality of rows of marks arranged separately along the process-direction, each row of marks extending along the cross-process-direction, a first row of the first set of alignment marks and a second row of the first set of alignment marks being adjacent to each other in the process-direction without a gray level portion there-between, and printing a second set of alignment marks adjacent to a second end of the plurality of gray level portions, the second set of alignment marks having a plurality of rows of marks arranged separately along the process-direction, each row of marks extending along the cross-process-direction, the first and second end being separated from each other in the process direction and sandwiching the plurality of gray level portions therebetween.