The invention provides a method for compensating synchronization errors in non-impact printers, without influencing the transport of the record carrier and without changing the printing frequency of the printing elements. A control value is derived from a difference between the actual transport speed and a predetermined transport speed of the record carrier. This control value is used to vertically deflect the recording beam, after each picture line, by a fraction of the predetermined picture line spacing. The sum of the cumulative vertical deflections are compared with the value of the picture line spacing, and the recording of the next picture line is delayed by one deflection period of the recording beam when the sum is greater than or equal to the value of the picture line spacing.