Patent ID: 8506038

Claim:
A method of aligning printheads that eject clear ink in an inkjet printer comprising: printing a first test pattern with ink having a first color on recording media as the recording media moves in a process direction past at least one printhead that ejects the ink having the first color, the printing of the first test pattern including printing a plurality of rows of a first predetermined mark on the recording media with ink drops of the first color separated from one another by at least one pixel position in a cross-process direction; printing a second test pattern with clear ink on the recording media as the recording media moves in the process direction past at least one printhead that ejects the clear ink, the second test pattern being printed over the first test pattern and the printing of the second test pattern including printing a plurality of rows of a second predetermined mark on the recording media with clear ink drops positioned between the ink drops of the first color, the second predetermined mark being different than the first predetermined mark; receiving data identifying a distance indicative of a misalignment of the at least one printhead that ejects the clear ink, the distance corresponding to a position of a portion of the second test pattern on the recording media; and operating with a controller at least one actuator operatively connected to the at least one printhead that ejects clear ink, the controller operating the at least one actuator with reference to the misalignment identifying data to adjust alignment of the at least one printhead that ejects clear ink with reference to the at least one printhead that eject the ink having the first color.