A method of operating a printing machine having a fusing subsystem and an air knife, comprising: acquiring (610, 620) at least one electro-photographic reproduction machine objective and media characteristic; determining optimization parameter values from the acquired at least one electro-photographic reproduction machine objective and media characteristic; wherein the fusing subsystem comprises a fuse roll and a pressure roll each rotatable about a respective axis and forming a nip through which media passes; wherein the air knife has an orifice directing a stream of pressurized air at an impingement point on the fuse roll, wherein the air knife is rotatable and displaceable relative to the fuse roll; wherein the impingement point and the orifice form a first angle (φ) with a line from the orifice forming one of two tangents to the fuse roll; wherein the exit of the nip and the impingement point subtend a second angle (θ) at the centre of rotation of the fuse roll, and characterized in that the optimization parameter values comprise values for the first angle and the second angle, the method further comprising: controlling the provided air knife based on the determining optimization parameter values for the first and second angles; wherein the photographic reproduction machine objective is one of body stripping, lead edge stripping, and user defined photographic reproduction machine objective; wherein the media characteristic is one of coated media, uncoated media, physical dimension of the media, and weight of the media; wherein controlling the provided air knife is accomplished by adjusting the distance (d) from the orifice to the impingement point and rotating the air knife relative to the fuse roll. acquiring (610, 620) at least one electro-photographic reproduction machine objective and media characteristic; determining optimization parameter values from the acquired at least one electro-photographic reproduction machine objective and media characteristic; wherein the fusing subsystem comprises a fuse roll and a pressure roll each rotatable about a respective axis and forming a nip through which media passes; wherein the air knife has an orifice directing a stream of pressurized air at an impingement point on the fuse roll, wherein the air knife is rotatable and displaceable relative to the fuse roll; wherein the impingement point and the orifice form a first angle (φ) with a line from the orifice forming one of two tangents to the fuse roll; wherein the exit of the nip and the impingement point subtend a second angle (θ) at the centre of rotation of the fuse roll, and characterized in that the optimization parameter values comprise values for the first angle and the second angle, the method further comprising: controlling the provided air knife based on the determining optimization parameter values for the first and second angles; wherein the photographic reproduction machine objective is one of body stripping, lead edge stripping, and user defined photographic reproduction machine objective; wherein the media characteristic is one of coated media, uncoated media, physical dimension of the media, and weight of the media; wherein controlling the provided air knife is accomplished by adjusting the distance (d) from the orifice to the impingement point and rotating the air knife relative to the fuse roll. controlling the provided air knife based on the determining optimization parameter values for the first and second angles; wherein the photographic reproduction machine objective is one of body stripping, lead edge stripping, and user defined photographic reproduction machine objective; wherein the media characteristic is one of coated media, uncoated media, physical dimension of the media, and weight of the media; wherein controlling the provided air knife is accomplished by adjusting the distance (d) from the orifice to the impingement point and rotating the air knife relative to the fuse roll.