Airflow system for thermal ink-jet printer

An ink-jet printer operated in a heated printed environment, comprising:

• a printhead for ink-jet printing on a print medium disposed at a print zone, said printhead being supported by a printhead carriage relative to a printer body;
• means for advancing the print medium to said print zone during print operations;
• print heater means for heating a portion of said medium disposed at said print zone during print operations to cause accelerated evaporation of liquid ink carrier materials from said medium, said heater means positioned such that said print medium is disposed between said printhead and said heater means at said print zone;
• evacuation means for evacuating air and ink vapors from the print zone, said means comprising an evacuation duct having an elongated inlet opening disposed along an extent of said print zone, said evacuation duct and inlet opening fixed in position relative to said printer body, and an evacuation fan for drawing said air and ink vapors into said evacuation duct and away from said print zone;
• and
• airflow means for directing airflow generally toward said print zone between said printhead and said medium.

A method for ink-jet printing, comprising a sequence of the following steps:

• positioning a printhead for ink-jet printing on a print surface of a print medium disposed at a print zone, wherein said printhead traverses along a print swath relative to a fixed printer body;
• advancing the print medium to said print zone beneath said printhead during print operations;
• heating a portion of a surface of said medium opposite said print surface disposed at said print zone during print operations to cause accelerated drying of ink deposited on said medium;
• and
• evacuating air and ink vapors away from said print zone by drawing said air and ink vapors into an elongated inlet duct of an evacuation duct whose position is fixed relative to said printer body, said inlet duct disposed along an extent of said print swath.