Patent ID: 8132877

Claim:
A phase change ink imaging device comprising: a printhead configured to eject melted phase change ink onto an image receiver; an ink source configured to hold a supply of solid phase change ink for the printhead and to deliver the solid phase change ink to an ink melter for melting the solid phase change ink and delivering the melted phase change ink to the printhead; an ink level sensor configured to generate a signal in response to an available amount of solid phase change ink in the ink source corresponding to an ample ink level; a user interface configured to enable a user to designate a low ink notification set point for use with the ink source; a controller operatively connected to the ink level sensor to receive the signal from the ink level sensor and operatively connected to the user interface to receive the user designated low ink notification set point from the user interface, the controller being configured to determine an available ink volume in the ink source between the ample ink level and an ink out level and to compare the user designated low ink notification set point to the available ink volume, the controller being configured to generate a low ink signal in response to the available ink volume value being less than the user designated low ink notification set point.