Abstract: The invention provides a method for aligning multiple color ink jet printheads to provide ink droplet placement within about {fraction (1/600)} inch of desired droplet location. The method includes providing an ink jet printer containing a printhead carriage for retaining a black ink printhead and a multi-color ink printhead thereon. The black ink printhead contains a black ink pen and the color ink printhead preferably contains at least two pens for providing droplets of ink on a print media. A color pen is selected to provide reference vertical and horizontal alignment patterns rather than using a black pen as the reference color. This enables a smaller error for alignment than provided with conventional alignment patterns.