Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for reducing media wrinkling, especially in envelopes, caused by transport through a fusing nip are provided. To compensate for stress build up in the media as it travels through the fusing nip, the media is bent or "pre-stressed" in a direction opposite to the nip stress prior to the media entering the fusing nip. A media support surface is positioned upstream from the fusing nip to pre-stress the media by providing pre-nip bending to the media. The media is bent in a direction opposite to the curvature of the harder nip roller prior to the media entering the fusing nip. This pre-nip bending of the media substantially offsets the nip-stress imparted on the media by the fusing nip.