Print medium handling system including cockle ribs to control pen-to-print medium spacing during printing

A print medium handling device for a printer having an ink-jet pen, the device comprising:

• a pen adapted for printing on a print medium;
• and
• support structure located adjacent the pen such that print medium is positioned between the pen and the support structure during printing, the support structure including multiple upwardly extending spaced projections to provide an undulated section of the print medium and support the print medium in a controlled flexure during printing.

A print medium handling mechanism for a printer having an ink-jet printhead, the mechanism comprising:

• a printhead adapted for printing on a print medium;
• and
• a support surface located adjacent the printhead, the support surface including fixed projections, the projections structured to contact the print medium along a line of contact substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the print medium, the projections being spaced from one another such that the projections suspend the print medium between the projections along the line of contact.