Classifying method of input media of printer and printing mechanism

A system of classifying incoming media entering an inkjet or other printing mechanism is provided to identify the media without requiring any special manufacturer markings. The incoming media is optically scanned using a blue-violet light to obtain both diffuse and specular reflectance data, from which a media signature is generated. The generated signature is compared with known signatures for different media types to classify the incoming media, and a corresponding print mode is selected. Finally, the selected print mode for the classified incoming media is stored for future reference. Thus, a consumer can teach the printing mechanism to recognize new types of media. For borderline media falling between two categories, the printer remembers which category was selected previously, and then applies the same print mode to the next borderline media to provide a visually consistent output. A printing mechanism constructed to implement this method is also provided.