A system and a method for improving the quality of prints using a print mask for a printer with at least one printhead with a plurality of dot forming elements arranged in dot forming element sections, and at least one of the masks are altered so that mask data corresponding to at least one complementary set of dot forming elements is activated or deactivated in response to the paper location and the dot forming element section is shifted as the printhead passes a transition position. As the mask size is reduced, for example, the mask contents are shifted to one end of the printhead. This remapping of the mask within the head allows the page advance distance to be changed to the new page advance distance only once.