A sheet registration system in an arcuate sheet path of a compact printer with a sheet feeding system in which the lead edge of the sheet is partially arcuately buckled against a transversely extending registration gate in said sheet path (such as stalled or slower speed sheet feed roller nips, or retractable fingers) in which there is a transversely variable arcuate control baffle system in said sheet path upstream of the registration gate for accommodating skewed sheets in the sheet path and thereby providing improved alignment of the lead edge of the skewed sheets with the transversely extending registration gate. The illustrated transversely variable arcuate control baffle system is provided by a variably positionable split baffle system providing for a larger arcuate buckle for one side of a skewed sheet than the other side of the skewed sheet. This may be in proportion to a sensed initial skew of the sheet.