Remote diagnosis of copy quality defects

A process for remotely diagnosing repeatable copy quality defects in printed pages of a print job being processed by an electronic reprographic system, the reprographic system including a printer for producing prints from the pages in response to job program instructions, and a user interface with display screen and at least one command input device for inputting the job program instructions for the print job, comprising the steps of:

• printing the print job;
• determining a repeatable copy quality defect is present;
• instructing the reprographic system, by job program instruction, to print a test pattern stored in a memory of the reprographic system, the printed test pattern now exhibits the copy quality defect;
• loading the printed test pattern into a system document handler for scanning;
• scanning the defective printed test pattern thereby creating a digitized image of the printed test pattern;
• transferring the digitized image of the printed test pattern along with reprographic system identification and physical data to a remote diagnostic computer, the remote diagnostic computer having expert system software stored in a first memory thereof for analyzing the copy quality defect;
• analyzing the digitized image of the printed test pattern containing the copy quality defect using the remote diagnostic computer;
• receiving from the remote diagnostic computer at least one of a status message, notice that a service technician is responding and a list of corrective procedures, the at least one status message, notice and list being displayed on the user interface display screen;
• and
• implementing the list of corrective procedures thereby correcting the copy quality defect.