A skew sensor calibration unit including a scanner providing a scanned image of a sheet as the sheet is conveyed along a transport path, the scanned image including a leading edge of the sheet and a skew detection pattern printed thereon by a printhead. A calibration module measures a top skew of the sheet based on position signals from a plurality of skew sensors indicating a position of a leading edge of a sheet as the sheet is conveyed along the transport path, measure an image skew of the sheet relative to the printhead based on the scanned image, and generates a calibration factor that when applied to the measured top skew provides a calibrated top skew that matches the image skew.