Abstract: A method of positioning an ink jet printhead in a printer includes dividing a bitmap into a plurality of rows of tiles. A subset of the rows of tiles to be printed in a next pass of the printhead is identified. Printable ones of the tiles in the subset of rows are identified. The printable tiles contain printable data. Within each printable tile, a top most location of the printable data and at least one of a left most location of the printable data and a right most location of the printable data are identified. A print medium is advanced in a feed direction until a portion of the print medium corresponding with the top most location of the printable data of at least one printable tile is substantially aligned with a top nozzle of the printhead.

Abstract: The amount of toner remaining in each toner cartridge (20a-20d) of a printer (1) is estimated by incrementing a count when one pel is detected in each small region of the bit map. The printer senses toner out, after which the scale ascribed to one count is revised to reflect the actual count to toner out. Specifically, the count to toner out becomes the number representative of empty so that one-half of that count is interpreted as half full. The remaining toner in each cartridge is displayed to the operator at a gauge (21).