Apparatus and method for determining suitable printing conditions for printing sheets in a printing system

A method of determining suitable operating conditions for printing sheets in a printing system, comprising a controller performing the steps of:

• introducing a first sheet into the printing system;
• selecting a first level for a physical operating condition of the printing system;
• exposing the first sheet to the physical operating condition of the printing system at the first level to treat the first sheet region;
• sensing a surface geometry of a surface of the exposed first sheet to generate first height map data representing a height map of the surface of the exposed first sheet for the first level of the operating condition;
• introducing a second sheet into the printing system;
• selecting a second level for the physical operating condition of the printing system;
• exposing the second sheet to the physical operating condition of the printing system at the second level to treat the second sheet region;
• sensing a surface geometry of a surface of the exposed second sheet to generate second height map data representing a height map of the surface of the exposed second sheet for the second level of the operating condition;
• comparing the first height map data and the second height map data to determine a suitable level of the operating condition of the printing system;
• selecting the determined suitable level as a printing setting for the operating condition of the printing system.