A system and method are provided for implementing selectable roll positioning for web printing in devices, including post processing devices, for advanced image forming systems. A selectable drive system for continuous feed or web material image receiving medium substrate can “with the flip of a switch” transition the drive system from a tensioned web (transport) pulling system in a downstream device to a slack web nip-drive system as may be dictated by other system and/or operating characteristics. The selection of a particular drive method is based on a constitution of the continuous feed or web material image receiving media; a composition of a marking material deposited on the continuous feed or web material image receiving media; or a post-processing technique that the continuous feed or image receiving media, as marked, may undergo in the production of an output document.