Systems and methods for reducing image registration errors

An apparatus comprising:

• a first print engine comprising a first photoreceptor including a first photoreceptor belt having a first period of revolution;
• a second print engine downstream from the first print engine, the second print engine comprising a second photoreceptor including a second photoreceptor belt having a second period of revolution;
• an inverter between said first print engine and said second print engine, said inverter having a constant time period for inverting a substrate from said first print engine to said second print engine;
• and,
• a tandem print controller that determines an equivalent position difference at start up between a first seam in said first photoreceptor belt and a second seam in said second photoreceptor belt wherein said equivalent position difference substantially equal to said time period for inverting.

A method comprising:

• measuring an inverter period, said inverter period substantially matches a transit time of an image receiving substrate between a first print engine and a second print engine;
• parking said second print engine such that a seam in a second photoreceptor belt is offset by said inverter period relative to a seam in a first photoreceptor belt;
• measuring a first period of revolution of the first photoreceptor belt;
• measuring a second period of revolution of the second photoreceptor belt;
• and,
• calculating a gain factor by determining a ratio between the first period of revolution and the second period of revolution.

An image processing method comprising:

• offsetting a seam in a second photoreceptor belt by a period substantially equal to a transit time for a substrate to travel through an inverter between a first print engine and a second print engine,
• maintaining a first period of revolution of a first photoreceptor belt substantially equal to a second period of revolution of the second photoreceptor belt during a print run;
• maintaining a substantially constant ratio between a velocity of the second photoreceptor belt and an exposure velocity of a plurality of imagers during the print run;
• printing a first image on an image receiving substrate at the first print engine;
• and
• printing a second image on the image receiving substrate at the second print engine.