Patent ID: 7271935

Claim:
A method for operating a printer, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a print order associated with image data for use in printing a plurality images; converting the image data into actions to print the plurality of images on a receiver medium with print adjacent areas between the printed images, the converting being performed in accordance with printer settings; printing a first set of color patches in the print adjacent areas when each of the first set of calibration color patches can be printed in the print adjacent areas; printing a second set of color patches in the print adjacent areas when each of the first set of color patches cannot be printed in the print adjacent areas; and, sensing the color of each printed color patch and recalibrating the printer settings based upon the sensed colors so that specific colors are printed in response to particular image data; wherein there are fewer color patches in the second set of color patches than in the first set of color patches and wherein the first set of color patches and the second set of color patches are printed such that the color patches are in more than one of the print adjacent areas.