An electrophotographic (EP) printer prints on a receiver sheet moving on a tensioned rotatable transport web with a Young's modulus of at least 1 GPa. The transport web is wrapped around a compliant image-bearing member. Two transfer stations are arranged along the belt, each with a rotatable image-bearing member. The first station has a first rotatable nip-forming member disposed adjacent to the transport web on the opposite side thereof from the first image-bearing member. The first rotatable nip-forming member is relatively stiffer than the first image-bearing member. The second station has a nip-forming member on a compliant mount. The second rotatable nip-forming member is relatively less stiff than the second image-bearing member.