A method is provided for manufacturing panels having a decorative surface, wherein the panels at least include a substrate and a top layer, and wherein the top layer includes a paper layer having a printed pattern. The method may involve providing the paper layer with an inkjet receiver coating by transporting the paper layer relative to a coater in a coating direction. The coated paper layer may be provided with at least a portion of the printed pattern using a digital inkjet printer that includes a housing containing print heads. The printed pattern may be a wood motif having wood nerves extending generally in a nerve direction that substantially corresponds to the coating direction. Providing the printed pattern may involve a relative motion between the digital inkjet printer and the paper layer during a printing operation in a printing direction. The paper layer may be maintained flat inside the housing, or the minimum radius over which the paper layer is bent inside the housing may be larger than 25 centimeters.