Patent ID: 8335457

Claim:
A method of controlling the synchronization of the photoreceptor belt seams associated with a multi-engine printing system including a first photoreceptor belt associated with a first printing engine and a second photoreceptor belt associated with a second IOI (Image on Image) printing engine, the method comprising: a) measuring a speed and phase of the first photoreceptor belt relative to a photoreceptor belt seam associated with the first photoreceptor belt; b) controlling a speed and phase of the second photoreceptor belt to substantially equal the measured speed of the first photoreceptor belt and the phase adjusted to substantially equal the measured phase of the first photoreceptor belt plus an offset associated with the travel distance of a media sheet from the first printing engine to the second printing engine, wherein the speed and phase of the second photoreceptor belt is controlled while the second printing engine is not developing an image on the second photoreceptor belt; c) developing one or more images on the second photoreceptor belt, the second photoreceptor belt controlled to operate at the measured speed of the first photoreceptor belt in step a); and d) maintaining a phase error of the second photoreceptor belt relative to the first photoreceptor belt as a function of a predetermined IOI registration tolerance associated with the second printing engine, the speed of the second photoreceptor being adjusted to the phase error while an image is being developed on the second photoreceptor belt.