A method for compensating for printing substrate deformation in a multicolor duplex printing operation by way of a computer. The substrate deformation that arises when individual color separations are printed onto the first and second sides of the printing substrate in the printing units is established and compensated for in the course of an automated register correction process. The computer calculates a forecast of the substrate deformation on a basis of the established first side deformation parameters of the printing substrate. When further color separations are printed onto the second side the forecast is used as an input parameter for a compensation of the substrate deformation of the second side.