Active airflow control device for vacuum paper transport

A system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, said computer-usable medium capable of communicating with said at least one processor, said computer program code comprising instructions executable by said at least one processor and configured for:
• generating a vacuum with a vacuum source, wherein the vacuum source and a pneumatic solenoid block are associated with a marking transport platen, wherein a plurality of print bars are located with respect to the marker transport platen and a marker transport belt, wherein the marker transport platen is configured with airflow sections divided into process-direction slots and cross-section direction slots, wherein the cross-section direction slots are located beneath the plurality of print bars and are connected to the vacuum source via the pneumatic solenoid block, wherein the pneumatic solenoid block facilitates an individual control of each of the cross-process direction slots;
• and
• timing a plurality of pneumatic valves associated with the pneumatic solenoid block, which supplies a flow of the vacuum to the cross-process direction vacuum slots, to allow the vacuum to be present when a sheet of media is present over a corresponding vacuum slot among the process-direction slots and the cross-section direction slots.