An embodiment of the invention provides a tool for modifying a mask design layout to be printed. The tool is executed by a computer system, and includes code for establishing a first level of correction for a mask design layout for a predetermined parametric yield without cost of correction to area of the mask design layout. The tool also includes code for correcting the mask design layout at said first level of correction based on a correction algorithm, the correction algorithm selecting a cell of the mask design layout having an edge placement error (EPE) for each gate feature in the cell. The correction algorithm selects the cell without loss to parametric yield as established by the predetermined parametric yield.