A system and method are provided for cooling and de-curling output image receiving media substrates prior to stacking them in output trays of office-sized image forming devices. Customer requirements are met by providing a cooling capacity with a simple module that is particularly adaptable to a standard office-sized image forming device without increasing a vertical footprint of the device. The substrate de-curling and cooling capacity is able to be retrofit on typical office-sized image forming devices as, for example, an upgraded output catch tray to provide an all stocks at rated speed capacity in the image forming device. A substrate and de-curling unit cools sheets of image receiving media substrate via conduction by pressing the sheets individually and in order to a pair of rotating cooling drums with a pair of cooperating belts supported by appropriate idler rollers in a paper path having a horizontal “S” shape.