An apparatus and method for moving a receiver into a registered relationship with a moving image-bearing member in a registration mechanism. The apparatus and method account for receivers that arrive at the registration mechanism outside a normal operating time window. When a receiver arrives too late, the receiver is accelerated to a speed greater than that of the moving image-bearing member for a period of time sufficient to account for the arrival delay. The receiver is then decelerated to a speed substantially equal to that of the image-bearing member. When a receiver arrives too early, the receiver is brought to a stop for a period of time sufficient to account for the early arrival. The receiver is then accelerated to the image-bearing member speed.