Patent ID: 6993272

Claim:
A method for producing a toner of a custom color in a developer unit including a housing defining a reservoir for storing a supply of toner, a donor member for transporting toner to an imaging surface; comprising: identifying custom color requested; determining color of toner in the reservoir; detoning toner on said donor member if the color of toner in the reservoir is beyond a predefined value in color space from said custom color requested; calculating and dispensing primary toner colors to be added to the reservoir to obtain the custom color requested; mixing said primary toner colors dispensed in said reservoir; and evaluating and comparing the color components of said toner being mixed to said custom color requested; said evaluating and comparing comprises: sensing color components of said toner being mixed in said reservoir with a first sensor; detoning toner on said donor member; and sensing color components of said toner being detoned with a second sensor; and repeating said calculating and dispensing in response to said sensing until color components of said toner being mixed to said custom color requested are within a predefined value in color space; said evaluating and comparing further comprises: printing with said toner; sensing color components of said toner with a third sensor.