Patent ID: 7063412

Claim:
A set of ink sticks comprising: an ink stick, the ink stick comprising: an ink stick body having a plurality of surfaces, including a face surface; and a visually recognizable symbol formed on the face surface of the ink stick body; wherein the ink stick is adapted to be inserted in an insertion orientation into a feed channel of a phase change ink printer; wherein when the ink stick is in the insertion orientation, the face surface having the visually recognizable symbol is directed away from the feed channel; wherein when the ink stick is inserted in the insertion direction into the feed channel, the face surface having the symbol enters the feed channel last; wherein the visually recognizable symbol occupies less than a majority of the face surface; wherein the visually recognizable symbol has a dimension substantially perpendicular to the remainder of the face surface; wherein a majority of the shape of the visually recognizable symbol is not parallel to the edges of the face surface having the visually recognizable symbol; wherein the ink stick is adapted to move in a feed direction along the feed channel of the phase change ink jet printer; and wherein the feed direction is substantially perpendicular to the insertion direction; the set of ink sticks additionally comprising a second ink stick body having a plurality of surfaces, including a face surface, wherein: the second ink stick body has a visually recognizable symbol formed on the face surface of the second ink stick body; the second ink stick body is adapted to be inserted in an insertion orientation into a second feed channel of the phase change ink printer; when the second ink stick body is in the insertion orientation, the face surface having the second visually recognizable symbol is directed away from the second feed channel; the second visually recognizable symbol occupies less than a majority of the face surface of the second ink stick body; the second visually recognizable symbol has a dimension substantially perpendicular to the remainder of the face surface of the second ink stick body; and a majority of the shape of the second visually recognizable symbol is not parallel to the edges of the face surface having the second visually recognizable symbol.