Printed media production

A printhead for an ink jet printer, the printhead including:

• an array of nozzles and respective colorant ejection means for ejecting colorant onto a media substrate to be printed;
• and
• a nozzle guard positioned to inhibit damaging contact with the exterior of the array of nozzles;
• said nozzle guard having a shield covering the exterior of the nozzles,
• said shield having an array of passages in registration with the array of nozzles so as not to impede the normal trajector of the colorant ejected from each nozzle;
• said nozzle guard including fluid inlet openings for directing fluid through said passages, to inhibit the build up of foreign particles on the nozzle array, wherein:
• said fluid is passed through said passages it a velocity that is less than the velocity of the ejected colorant.