A device, system, and method for reducing the pitch-to-pitch variation of color using pitch-based linearization of halftone screens are presented. A selection of images is printed at different pitches, and each image is measured and tracked with its pitch. Pitch-based TRCs are constructed using patches, which may be scheduled during print run or during machine diagnostic process and halftone dots are constructed and uploaded in the image path for each pitch. The updated dots are then used to produce a linearized halftone image for transfer to a print surface which results in improved color balance.