Ink printing apparatus with improved heater

An ink jet printhead for drop-on-demand printing, said printhead comprising:

• (a) a substrate having a plurality of drop-emitter orifices;
• (b) an ink channel coupled to each of said orifices for delivery of a body of ink to the orifices;
• (c) pressure means for subjecting ink in said channels to a pressure above ambient pressure, thereby forming an ink meniscus at the orifices, said meniscus having a surface;
• and
• (d) drop selection means for selectively delivering heat to ink which has been delivered to selectively addressed ones of the orifices, thereby causing a difference in meniscus position between ink in addressed and non-addressed orifices, said drop selection means including a heater suspended in each ink meniscus close to the surface of the meniscus when the meniscus is at a non-addressed orifice position, said heater being effective to heat the meniscus and to thereby reduce surface tension of the meniscus at selectively addressed orifices.