A marker transport system and a method of operating the marker transport system. A group of print bars is located with respect to a marker transport platen and a marker transport belt. A vacuum source and a pneumatic solenoid block are associated with the marker transport platen. The marker transport platen includes airflow sections divided into process-direction slots and cross-section direction slots. The cross-section direction slots are located beneath the print bars and are connected to the vacuum source via the pneumatic solenoid block, which facilitates an individual control of each of the cross-process direction slots. Pneumatic valves are associated with the pneumatic solenoid block, which supplies a flow of vacuum to the cross-process direction vacuum slots. The pneumatic vales can be timed to allow the vacuum to be present when a sheet is present over a corresponding vacuum slot among the process-direction slots and the cross-section direction slots.