Printed media production

1. A printhead for an ink jet printer, the printhead including:

an array of nozzles and respective colorant ejection means for ejecting colorant onto a media substrate to be printed; and

a nozzle guard positioned to inhibit damaging contact with the exterior of the array of nozzles;

said nozzle guard having a shield covering the exterior of the nozzles,

said shield having an array of passages in registration with the array of nozzles so as not to impede the normal trajector of the colorant ejected from each nozzle;

said nozzle guard including fluid inlet openings for directing fluid through said passages, to inhibit the build up of foreign particles on the nozzle array, wherein:

said fluid is passed through said passages it a velocity that is less than the velocity of the ejected colorant.

2. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein the shield is formed from silicon.

3. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein the nozzle guard has a support means for supporting the nozzle shield on the printhead.

4. A printhead according to claim 3 wherein the support means is integrally formed with the shield, the support means comprising a pair of spaced support elements one being arranged at each end of the nozzle shield.

5. A printhead according to claim 4 wherein the fluid inlet openings are arranged in one of the support elements.

6. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein the fluid inlet openings are arranged in the support element remote from a bond pad of the nozzle array.

7. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein colorant droplets are ejected at a velocity of 3 m/s.

8. A printhead according to claim 1 wherein the fluid is passed through the passages at 1 m/s.