Patent ID: 7516699

Claim:
A method for operating a printer for printing a print job requiring at least one color ink comprising: obtaining at least one printer operating parameter chosen from the group consisting of a remaining ink volume of the at least one color ink, at least one ink usage characteristic of at least one past print job, at least one ink usage characteristic of a next-to-be-printed print job, and a past ink usage frequency of the at least one color ink; determining a first print density for one of the at least one color ink for at least one future print job without regard to the obtained at least one printer operating parameter; determining a different second print density for the one color ink for the at least one future print job based on at least the obtained at least one printer operating parameter; issuing a user prompt for user approval or non-approval to use the second print density for the one color ink when printing the at least one future print job; using the second print density for the one color ink when printing the at least one future print job upon receiving a user reply of approval; and using the first print density for the one color ink when printing the at least one future print job upon receiving a user reply of non-approval, wherein the at least one future print job uses at least two color inks including a black ink and a non-black ink, wherein the one color ink is the black ink, and wherein the user prompt also includes a request for approval or non-approval to use the second print density only for the black ink for all future print jobs.