We describe a method for automatically classifying image-quality defects on printed documents. The proposed approach accepts a scanned image where the defect has been localized a priori and performs several appropriate image processing steps to reveal the region of interest. A mask is then created from the exposed region to identify bright outliers. Morphological reconstruction techniques are then applied to emphasize relevant local attributes. The classification of the defects is accomplished

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... ia a customized tree classifier that utilizes size or shape attributes at corresponding nodes to yield appropriate binary decisions. Applications of this process include automated/assisted diagnosis and repair of printers/copiers in the field in a timely fashion. The proposed technique was tested on a database of 276 images of synthetic and real-life defects with 94.95% accuracy.