A printer and method adapted to precisely position a dye receiver portion. The printer and method properly positions the dye receiver portion for printing successive images onto the dye receiver portion with precise color registration and constant length, as the dye receiver portion unwinds from a roll of dye receiver. The printer comprises a print head for successively printing the images on the dye receiver and includes a rotator engaging the dye receiver roll for rotating the dye receiver roll by a plurality of incremental steps, so that the dye receiver is unwound from the dye receiver roll. The printer also includes a computer connected to the dye receiver roll for computing the incremental steps by which to rotate the dye receiver roll. The computer computes the incremental steps as a function of change of diameter of the dye receiver roll as each image of constant predetermined length is successively printed.