Patent ID: 8734034

Claim:
A method comprising: accepting, at a device, an image representation of an image and printing specifications describing how the image is to be printed; converting, using a processor in the device, image data of the image into printer data; calculating, using the processor, a predicted ink drop count using the image representation and the printer data; estimating, using the processor, predicted ink drop weights using linearization of calibration data and previously predicted ink drop weights; calculating, using the processor, a predicted ink use value based on the predicted ink drop count, the predicted ink drop weights, the image representation, and the printing specifications; measuring, using the processor, actual ink use during a printing operation; calculating, using the processor, actual ink drop weights based on the measured actual ink use; comparing, using the processor, the predicted ink use value to the measured actual ink use; and calculating, using the processor, error margins based on the comparison of the predicted ink use value to the measured actual ink use.