Abstract: An ink jet printer that includes a printhead for ejecting ink droplets, an ink container for supplying ink to the printhead, and an ink level sensor for measuring the level of ink in the ink container, includes an ink level sensor activator. The ink level sensor activator causes the ink level sensor to measure the level of ink in the ink container after the printhead has ejected a predetermined quantity of ink. The ink level sensor activator records the quantity of ink ejected by the printhead onto the print medium by measuring to the number of droplets of ink ejected, and/or by determining the number of pixels in an image to be printed for which ink is to be ejected. If the quantity of ink ejected has a predetermined threshold, the ink level sensor measures the quantity of ink in the ink container.

Abstract: A system for providing a memory for storing page mode parameters and a controller for providing images in optional page modes for producing a set of images with discrete elements of the set of images processed in a selected page mode independent of the page mode of other elements. This is accomplished by identifying elements of the set of images with page mode parameters and responding to the page mode parameters to alter the operation of the machine dependent upon the identified page mode parameters.