closely spaced fluid droplets specifically the lag time between activation of diverter member 20 and separation of the liquid drop from diverter member 20 is very small approximately equal to the ratio of the length of the diverter member divided by the velocity of the liquid in ejector channel 17 preferably the diverter member is no longer than say ten microns and the fluid velocity is in the range of from five to thirty meters per second accordingly the time between activation of diverter member 20 and separation of the liquid drop from the diverter member is less than two microseconds this corresponds to a response frequency which is defined as the inverse of the lag time of greater than 400 khz the energy to propel such droplets derives from pump 16 typically located remotely from the dispenser thus the dispenser and the printer so enabled are of the continuous inkjet type and the response time characterizing the lag between activation and drop ejection is very fast the dispenser may advantageously be micromachined from a block of material or fabricated by electroforming electroplating chemical etching or molding assembling separately fabricated modules may alternatively form it the dispenser may be used for depositing droplets for printing or for imaging applications as well as other nonprinting applications where there is a requirement for dispensing precise volumes of fluids the dispenser of the present invention has a number of advantages over known devices the velocity of emission of the droplet will directly depend on the supply pressure and not on control pressure and the dispenser can thereby yield drop velocities in excess of twenty meters per second which are much higher than those achievable with previous piezo electric.