Print Quality Test Page

Abstract

A print quality (PQ) test page is a diagnostic tool which is designed for accurate and efficient diagnosis of PQ defects. We develop a set of test pages for the user to check the condition of his or her printer without using any other tools. We design test features which clearly reveal the common PQ defects that occur with color laser printers, such as failure of color plane registration, ghosting, and repetitive artifacts. We then incorporate the test features into a set of test pages for a specific printer model. We introduce the concept of imperfections within specification which are PQ defects that fall within the PQ specification of the printer. The PQ test pages should be designed not to reveal such defects to the customer. For the constant tone fields on the test page, we consider the specific case of designing halftone patterns that will not show banding that is within specification. Finally, we describe the design of a set of instruction pages that walk the customer through the process of identifying PQ defects shown on the test pages, that can be remedied by customer-replaceable parts.