Paper wrinkle is problematic because it is system-related, occurring at the end of the development cycle when hardware has already been committed. In belt fusing paper wrinkle is more involved than in roll fusing, due to the system being less robust and due to constraints by rapid warm-up requirements. The main objectives here are to elucidate the mechanics of paper wrinkling, and to generate a methodology to mitigate wrinkle formation. The analysis addresses the concept of 'creep', the small differences in velocities between belt, paper and backup roll (BUR), the mechanics of paper feed in long rolls, and their relevance to paper wrinkle in belt fusing. Paper wrinkle arises due to non-uniformities along the roll which ultimately affect paper feed rates. Non-uniformities are inherent to the design of the fuser; however there are ways to control wrinkling tendencies, e.g. by optimizing system rigidity, profiling the BUR surface and core, and saddling the shape of the belt, to name but a few. One objective of the analysis is to understand the behavior of the system before hardware selection has been firmed up. To this end a master wrinkle curve is generated, which describes the propensity of the system to wrinkle and the directions to mitigate the effect.