a method and system for a printing device is disclosed . the method and system comprise printing a test pattern on a print medium and generating a digital image of the printed test pattern by an imaging device . the method and system include analyzing an interference pattern to measure for distortion of the print medium and calibrating the printing device based upon the measured distortion . in a preferred embodiment , the present invention utilizes the reticle patterns , which are printed in the margins of the paper , which are measured real - time during printing . the interference or moiré patterns created by superimposed reticles may be used to measure image distortion , process direction misalignment , and misregistration caused by web distortion . the advantage of this invention is that image distortion compensation , rip parameters , timing , or other printer characteristics may be adjusted on - the - fly in a closed feedback system , for high - speed textile or paper color printing , utilizing on - the - fly distortion or stretch measurement for accurate color and / or duplex images registration . in a duplex printer , automatic images alignment front - to - back is obtained by combining optically or logically the two images for the evaluation of interference patterns and amount of distortion in the process and scan direction .