Patent ID: 8764141

Claim:
A system for guiding media past a media width printhead, the system comprising: a media width printhead having a plurality of fluid ejection nozzles defining a media width print zone; input rollers disposed relative to the printhead so as to transport media into the print zone at an angle to a plane parallel with the print zone; output rollers disposed relative to the printhead so as to transport media out of the print zone at an angle to a plane parallel with the print zone; and an elongate platen for supporting and guiding the media as the media is transported through the print zone, the platen having a series of upstream ribs disposed upstream of the print zone with respect to the media transport direction and a series of downstream ribs disposed downstream of the print zone with respect to the media transport direction, wherein the ribs are configured for contacting the media and guiding the media through the print zone, and wherein the platen defines a slot having a longitudinal length along the media width, the upstream ribs being disposed on the upstream side of the slot and the downstream ribs being disposed on the downstream side of the slot, and wherein the platen comprises datum elements which contact the printhead so that the upstream and downstream ribs are spaced from the nozzles.