A method for controlling adhesives between substrates and substrate carriers, comprising: forming a depression (503, 504) into a bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) of a backside surface of a substrate (509, 601) of a print head (500, 600), said bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) being formed proximate an ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) formed through a thickness of said substrate (509, 601) from said backside surface to a front side surface, said backside surface being adjacent an ink reservoir in a substrate carrier and said front side surface being adjacent an ink firing chamber, the ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) connecting the ink chamber to the ink reservoir; placing an adhesive between said bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) and the substrate carrier; and moving said substrate (509, 601) and said substrate carrier together such that said adhesive flows into said depression (503, 504), wherein said bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) is located between said ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) and a second ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) formed in said backside surface, wherein forming a depression (503, 504) into a bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) of a backside surface of a substrate (509, 601) of a print head (500, 600) includes forming a single groove that runs along a length of one of said ink feed pathway and said second ink feed pathway, wherein said groove comprises a width that spans at least fifty percent of a distance from said ink feed pathway and said second ink feed pathway, and wherein the groove retains some of the adhesive from bulging into the ink feed pathways (508, 604, 608, 609). forming a depression (503, 504) into a bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) of a backside surface of a substrate (509, 601) of a print head (500, 600), said bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) being formed proximate an ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) formed through a thickness of said substrate (509, 601) from said backside surface to a front side surface, said backside surface being adjacent an ink reservoir in a substrate carrier and said front side surface being adjacent an ink firing chamber, the ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) connecting the ink chamber to the ink reservoir; placing an adhesive between said bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) and the substrate carrier; and moving said substrate (509, 601) and said substrate carrier together such that said adhesive flows into said depression (503, 504), wherein said bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) is located between said ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) and a second ink feed pathway (508, 604, 608, 609) formed in said backside surface, wherein forming a depression (503, 504) into a bonding area (505, 506, 606, 607) of a backside surface of a substrate (509, 601) of a print head (500, 600) includes forming a single groove that runs along a length of one of said ink feed pathway and said second ink feed pathway, wherein said groove comprises a width that spans at least fifty percent of a distance from said ink feed pathway and said second ink feed pathway, and wherein the groove retains some of the adhesive from bulging into the ink feed pathways (508, 604, 608, 609).