The invention relates to a method and apparatus for recording digital data on an image-receiving medium (20). The recording head (71) is transported along a slow-scan-direction (Y) and digital image data is recorded along a fast-scan-direction (X). The recording head (71) is decoupled from its drive (60) during recording of digital image data of a line or an image or part of it. The transient movement of the recording head (71) along the fast-scan-direction (X) is detected before and/or during exposure using a sensor system (52, 53) and these signals are used to derive a high precision synchronized clock by suitable interpolation and/or extrapolation for the recording of image data to the image-receiving medium (20).