Printer mechanism with shape control mechanism to transform hills and valleys

A print medium handling device for a printer, the device comprising:

• a pen to print on a print medium;
• a 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 with hills and valleys in a print zone of the handling device;
• and
• at least one shape control mechanism to transform each of the hills in the print zone into a corresponding valley in an output path adjacent to the print zone and transform each of the valleys in the print zone into a corresponding hill in the output path, and
• wherein the at least one shape control mechanism includes a first row of star wheels including a first set of star wheels pressing down the upper surface of the print medium, and wherein each star wheel in the first set is laterally aligned with one of the hills in the print zone.

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

• a printhead to print on a print medium;
• a support surface located adjacent the printhead, the support surface including fixed projections, each of the projections extending substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the print medium and causes hills and valleys to be formed in the print medium in a print zone, and wherein the direction of travel defines a longitudinal dimension;
• and
• at least one paper shape control mechanism including a plurality of rows of star wheels to transform each of the hills in the print zone into a corresponding valley in an output path adjacent to the print zone and transform each of the valleys in the print zone into a corresponding hill in the output path, and
• wherein the plurality of rows of star wheels presses down the upper surface of the print medium.