1. An interactive method for characterizing printer streaks, the method comprising: a. printing an image onto a printable media using a printing system in operable communication with an automated image quality artifact characterization system; b. observing the printed image and identifying the presence of at least one image quality artifact in the image; c. accessing an interactive tool and operating program integrated with the automated image quality artifact characterization system; d. implementing a user focus and selection process within the interactive tool to identify the boundaries of a region of interest within the image including at least a portion of the image quality artifact for characterization; e. running the operating program to select the identified region of interest for characterization by the automated image quality artifact characterization system; f. generating a one dimensional streak density profile of only the identified region of interest of the image using a two-dimensional characterization data set within the automated image quality artifact characterization system, the density profile representing intensity and color value variation within the selected region of interest of the image; g. implementing a user parameter selection process within the interactive tool to select descriptor parameter values to be used by the automated image quality artifact characterization system in characterization of the selected region of interest of the image; h. inputting the selected parameters into the operating program; i. operating an automated image-quality characterization algorithm within the automated image quality artifact characterization system that uses the selected parameters to calculate streak characterizing values; j. repeating steps (c)-(i) based on operator feedback from the calculations of step (i) as many times as necessary to generate a streak characterization of the selected region of interest; and k. optimizing the printer system according to the generated streak characterization to remove streaks.