Print station in an ink jet printer

An ink jet printer comprising:

• an ink jet printhead assembly including a nozzle array facing generally downwardly and operable to eject ink droplets from the nozzle array;
• means for advancing a sheet of paper in a first direction along a paper path from a position upstream of the nozzle array past the nozzle array to a position downstream from the nozzle array, the printhead assembly including a downwardly extending tab upstream from the nozzle array;
• means for reciprocating the ink jet printhead assembly in a second direction transverse to said first direction;
• a fixed guide surface above the paper path, extending generally across the paper path in said second direction, said fixed guide surface being upstream of the tab;
• a deflectable guide below the paper path and the fixed guide surface, said deflectable guide extending generally across the paper path in said second direction upstream of the nozzle array and positioned to urge a sheet of paper against the fixed guide surface;
• and
• support means for supporting a sheet of paper downstream from the nozzle array, said deflectable guide and said support means defining an upstream extent and a downstream extent, respectively of an area beneath the nozzle array where there is no support structure for a sheet of paper.