pat no 6 044 646 by the present applicant each such print chip 27 is approximately 21 mm long less than 1 mm wide and about 0 3 mm high and has on its lower surface thousands of mems inkjet nozzles 30 shown schematically in fig9 a and 9b arranged generally in six lines u2014 one for each ink type to be applied each line of nozzles may follow a staggered pattern to allow closer dot spacing six corresponding lines of ink passages 31 extend through from the rear of the print chip to transport ink to the rear of each nozzle to protect the delicate nozzles on the surface of the print chip each print chip has a nozzle guard 43 best seen in fig9 a with microapertures 44 aligned with the nozzles 30 so that the ink drops ejected at high speed from the nozzles pass through these microapertures to be deposited on the paper passing over the platen 14 ink is delivered to the print chips via a distribution molding 35 and laminated stack 36 arrangement forming part of the printhead 11 ink from an ink cassette 93 fig2 and 27 is relayed via individual ink hoses 94 to individual ink inlet ports 34 integrally molded with a plastics duct cover 39 which forms a lid over the plastics distribution molding 35 the distribution molding 35 includes six individual longitudinal ink ducts 40 and an air duct 41 which extend throughout the length of the array ink is transferred from the inlet ports 34 to respective ink ducts 40 via individual cross flow ink channels 42 as best seen with reference to fig7 it should be noted in this regard that although there are six ducts depicted a different number of ducts might be provided.