A print carriage and ink supply system for a printer includes: (a) a print carriage adapted for lateral reciprocation along a print medium within a printer, where the print carriage includes at least one print head; (b) an ink pump including an ink inlet in fluid communication with an ink source, an ink outlet in fluid communication with the print head, and a pump actuator for at least initiating displacement of ink through the ink pump upon actuation; and (c) an inertial mass coupled to the print carriage for reciprocating movement with respect to the print carriage in opposing reaction to acceleration of the print carriage laterally along the print medium; where the inertial mass is indirectly linked to the pump actuator by a mechanical linkage such that the combination of the inertial mass and mechanical linkage actuates the pump at least upon certain accelerations of the print carriage laterally along the print medium.