Airflow control through vacuum platen of a printing system, and related devices, systems, and methods

A vacuum platen for a media transport device of a printing system, comprising:

• a platen body;
• a plurality of platen channels in the platen body, each of the platen channels opening to a first side of the platen body;
• and
• a plurality of platen holes in the platen body, each the platen holes opening to a second side of the platen body, opposite the first side, and being fluidically coupled to one of the platen channels,
• wherein at least some of the platen channels comprise a first region and a second region having a reduced open cross-sectional area relative to the first region, the second region being at a location between the first region and a platen hole fluidically coupled to the respective platen channel,
• wherein the second region of a given platen channel of the at least some platen channels comprises an obstruction feature located in the given platen channel, and
• wherein the obstruction feature comprises one or more of a fin array, a pin array, a mesh, a porous material, a wall with an aperture, a baffle, or any combination thereof.

A method, comprising:

• loading a print medium onto a movable support surface of a media transport assembly of a printing system;
• holding the print medium against the movable support surface via vacuum suction through platen holes and platen channels in a vacuum platen,
• flowing air from a first region of a given platen channel of the platen channels through a second region of the given platen channel to one of the platen holes, an open cross-sectional area of the second region being reduced relative to the first region;
• transporting the print medium, by moving the movable support surface relative to the vacuum platen, in a process direction through a deposition region of a printhead of the printing system;
• and
• ejecting print fluid from the printhead to deposit the print fluid to the print medium in the deposition region,
• wherein the second region of the given platen channel of the at least some platen channels comprises an obstruction feature located in the given platen channel, and
• wherein the obstruction feature comprises one or more of a fin array, a pin array, a mesh, a porous material, a wall with an aperture, a baffle, or any combination thereof.