Systems and methods of marking control achieve improved image quality in a multipass marking process by taking into account positioning errors that have already occurred in prior marking passes while building the image, and compensates for them in real-time by modifying the remaining interlace locations of the marking subsystem in order to minimize predicted image quality defect perception in the resultant image. The adjustment are preferably based on minimizing a defect perceivability metric. One such suitable metric is a frequency metric, preferably the power spectral density of the resultant image evaluated at the fundamental frequency (1/D), where D represents the spacing of marking devices, such as the spacing of print head nozzles.