An automated slide processing apparatus for staining a specimen (4034, 4930) on a microscope slide located within the slide processing apparatus, the slide processing apparatus comprising: a liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) movable relative to the slide, the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) including a gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) configured to output more than one gas flow to urge a volume of a liquid (4340, 4652, 4740, 4916) on an upper surface of the slide toward a collection zone (4550, 4742) on the upper surface, the collection zone (4550, 4742) being at least partially defined by the more than one gas flow as the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) moves relative to the slide, wherein the gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) is configured to produce at least one V-shaped gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922), and a suction element (4370, 4712, 4814, 4852) positioned to remove liquid (4340, 4652, 4740, 4916) collected at the collection zone (4550, 4742) from the upper surface as the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) moves relative to the slide characterized in that the gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) includes a plurality of first discrete gas outlets positioned to form a first gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922) in a first plane and a plurality of second discrete gas outlets positioned to form a second gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922) in a second plane, the first plane and the second plane intersecting at an angle in a range from about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees. a liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) movable relative to the slide, the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) including a gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) configured to output more than one gas flow to urge a volume of a liquid (4340, 4652, 4740, 4916) on an upper surface of the slide toward a collection zone (4550, 4742) on the upper surface, the collection zone (4550, 4742) being at least partially defined by the more than one gas flow as the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) moves relative to the slide, wherein the gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) is configured to produce at least one V-shaped gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922), and a suction element (4370, 4712, 4814, 4852) positioned to remove liquid (4340, 4652, 4740, 4916) collected at the collection zone (4550, 4742) from the upper surface as the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) moves relative to the slide a gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) configured to output more than one gas flow to urge a volume of a liquid (4340, 4652, 4740, 4916) on an upper surface of the slide toward a collection zone (4550, 4742) on the upper surface, the collection zone (4550, 4742) being at least partially defined by the more than one gas flow as the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) moves relative to the slide, wherein the gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) is configured to produce at least one V-shaped gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922), and a suction element (4370, 4712, 4814, 4852) positioned to remove liquid (4340, 4652, 4740, 4916) collected at the collection zone (4550, 4742) from the upper surface as the liquid removal device (4330, 4700, 4800, 4840) moves relative to the slide characterized in that the gas knife (4350, 4710, 4810, 4842, 4844, 4910, 4912) includes a plurality of first discrete gas outlets positioned to form a first gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922) in a first plane and a plurality of second discrete gas outlets positioned to form a second gas curtain (4360, 4720, 4920, 4922) in a second plane, the first plane and the second plane intersecting at an angle in a range from about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees.