A mixed-size copy printer system and method may include a scanner for collecting raw image data from and detecting a length of an original page from among a plurality of original pages of different lengths, a printer for printing an image scanned from an original page on a copy page, a controller including a plurality of stored print instructions and a RAM buffer, and an image processing unit, whereby the image processing unit may be configured to receive from the scanner the raw image data from the data indicative of a length of an original page scanned by the scanner, store the image data in the RAM buffer while the controller selects a print instruction from among the stored print instructions in response to the data indicative of the length of the original page scanned by the scanner, and the image processing unit sends the image data and the controller sends selected print instruction to the printer. The printer may also include width detection capability that enables the image processing unit to detect a variety of paper sizes of potentially different widths and lengths as well as distinguish between pages of the same size fed into the printer system's scanner in different orientations.