Patent ID: 8434847

Claim:
A method of operating a printer comprising: operating an actuator to move a sheet carrying device in a process direction through a print zone at a predetermined speed; moving a first media sheet on the sheet carrying device past a first end of the print zone and through the print zone in the process direction; identifying a first sheet carrying device displacement with reference to a drag force exerted on the sheet carrying device when a predetermined location of the first media sheet is at a first location in the print zone that corresponds to a first printhead; operating the first printhead to eject ink onto the first media sheet at the predetermined location; identifying a second sheet carrying device displacement with reference to a second drag force exerted on the sheet carrying device when the predetermined location of the first media sheet is at a second location in the print zone that corresponds to a second printhead, the second printhead being located from the first printhead in the print zone in the process direction; adjusting a time to operate the second printhead with reference to the predetermined speed of the sheet carrying device and a difference between the first sheet carrying device displacement and the second sheet carrying device displacement; and operating the second printhead with reference to the adjusted time to eject ink onto the predetermined location of the first media sheet.