Method and fluid applicator apparatus usable in a photographic film cassette and including a pressure pad having a film engaging surface for slidably supporting successive incremental portions of a strip of photographic film in a given plane as the film strip progressively advances in a given direction across a nozzle opening through which processing fluid is deposited on the film's emulsion surface having a particle engaging surface depending from the film engaging surface and facing in a direction opposite to the direction to divert particles impinging thereagainst in a manner and direction so that they are prevented from being caught by the particle engaging surface of the pressure pad.