Abstract: A first series of control patches is printed with a first marking engine. A second series of control patches is printed with a second marking engine. Relative reflectance values of the patches printed with the first and second marking engines are measured with respective first and second engine response sensors. Based at least on a difference in the measured relative reflectance values of the control patches printed with the first and second marking engines, a relative engine to engine error is determined. The engine to engine error is decomposed into components. Based on the decomposition, adjustment of at least binary values of a digital image is determined so that print density of a first marking engine output substantially matches print density of a second marking engine output.

Abstract: An integrated printing system is provided comprising a first image marking engine and a second image marking engine. The first and second image marking engines can be serially arranged with one another in a first operating mode. The first operating mode includes marking and passing of media to and from the first and second marking engines. A control system is provided for detecting a failure within one of the first and second image marking engines. A second operating mode is provided wherein the control system detects the failure and enables passing of the media through one of the first and second marking engines and marking of the media in another of the first and second marking engines when the failure is of a specified type.

Abstract: A method of locating the position of an object on the platen of a raster input scanner having a movable scan carriage and an extended array of scanners is disclosed. The method includes the steps of obtaining a previously stored theoretical position of the object from a memory, locating the scan carriage at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the previously stored position, moving the scan carriage toward the previously stored position while operating at least some of the scanners until a target on the object is detected by the operating scanners, and storing a target position of the scan carriage where the target is detected. The target position can represent the location of the scanner's calibration strip or the registration position of a document. After the target position is stored, the scan carriage can be located at the target position for calibrating the scanners if the target position represents the location of the calibration strip.