Patent ID: 6977741

Claim:
A method of progressive image shifting for use in printing a multi-page document, comprising: for each document page: forming page image data into a plurality of independent strips, each of which is a full page in length in a fast scan direction and a number of scan lines in a slow scan direction; compressing each of the plurality of independent strips, the plurality of compressed independent strips forming a compressed page image; determining an amount and a location to shift the page image on the page; shifting the compressed page image by inserting a compressed blank strip corresponding to the amount to shift the page image at the determined location on the page; adjusting locations of the plurality of compressed independent strips according to the location of the compressed blank strip, the compressed page image and the compressed blank strip forming a shifted compressed page image; decompressing the shifted compressed page image, and printing the document; wherein printing the document comprises printing two document pages per each sheet of output media, and further comprising: for each pair of first and second page images: determining an amount and location of gutter space to be provided between the first page image and the second page image; inserting a compressed blank strip corresponding to the determined amount of gutter space at the determined location between the first shifted compressed page image and second shifted compressed page image forming a shifted compressed pair image; and decompressing the shifted compressed pair image.