Patent ID: 7682002

Claim:
A printing apparatus comprising: a drop generator operable to selectively form a drop having a first size and a drop having a second size from liquid emitted through a nozzle associated with the drop generator, the drop having the first size and the drop having the second size traveling along a drop trajectory, the first size being larger than the second size when compared to each other, each of the drops having a drop velocity; a gas flow deflection system including a gas flow directed at a deflection zone that comprises at least a portion of the drop trajectory, the gas flow in the deflection zone including a velocity vector having a parallel velocity component and a perpendicular velocity component, the parallel velocity component and the perpendicular velocity component being defined relative to the drop trajectory, the parallel velocity component being greater than 0.25 times the drop velocity, and the perpendicular velocity component being sufficient to deflect the drop having the first size and the drop having the second size to a first size drop trajectory and a second size drop trajectory; and a catcher positioned relative to one of the first drop size trajectory and the second drop size trajectory such that the drops traveling along one of the first drop size trajectory and the second drop size trajectory are intercepted by the catcher while drops traveling along the other of the first drop size trajectory and the second drop size trajectory are not intercepted by the catcher.