Controlling direction of satellite droplet ejection in ink jet printer

A printer having a printhead with a fluid ejecting face facing a recording medium, the fluid ejecting face having at least one fluid ejector arranged thereon, the printer comprising:

• means for imparting movement to at least one of the fluid ejector and the recording medium such that the recording medium moves relative to the fluid ejector along a fast scan direction at a velocity (vm);
• and,
• means for selectively ejecting fluid from the fluid ejector toward the recording medium as the movement is being imparted, such that:
• (i) a main drop is formed and has a first velocity (vd) in a first direction;
• and,
• (ii) a satellite droplet is formed and has a second velocity (vs) in a second direction that forms an angle (θ) with respect to the first direction, wherein θ substantially satisfies the equation:
• tan θ=vm[1/(vs cos θ)−1/vd]
• where tan is the trigonometry tangent function, and cos is the trigonometry cosine function.

A printer comprising:

• a printhead having a fluid ejecting face;
• a medium handler that advances a recording medium in a fast scan direction past the fluid ejecting face of the printhead;
• and,
• an ejector assembly carried by the printhead, the ejector assembly including at least one ejector that ejects fluid from the fluid ejecting face of the print head toward the recording medium;
• wherein upon ejection a main drop is formed and has a first velocity (vd) in a first direction, and a satellite droplet is formed and has a second velocity (vs) in a second direction that forms an angle (θ) with respect to the first direction, the angle θ substantially satisfying the equation:
• tan θ=vm[1/(vs cos θ)−1/vd]
• where tan is the trigonometric tangent function, and cos is the trigonometric cosine function.