An inkjet printer for printing on a print medium includes at least one print cartridge, a carriage shell adapted to hold the at least one print cartridge and traverse the print medium, and a carriage skirt extending from the carriage shell. The at least one print cartridge includes a printhead having a scan axis and a plurality of ink orifices formed in a front face thereof. The carriage shell traverses the print medium along the scan axis during printing and the carriage skirt extends from the carriage shell substantially parallel with the front face of the printhead in a direction of the scan axis.