An inkjet printhead, printing system and a method of inkjet printing employ a boundary layer control apparatus to control a boundary layer of air flow surrounding a nozzle opening of an inkjet pen. The printhead includes the pen supported by a housing that is configured so that the nozzle opening both faces a substrate and is spaced from the substrate by a gap. The apparatus is a structure adjacent to the nozzle opening and supported at a leading edge of the housing ahead of the nozzle opening relative to a direction of movement of the substrate. The structure is configured to extend into the gap. The printing system further includes the substrate. The method includes moving the substrate below the printhead, controlling the boundary layer, and depositing an ink onto the moving substrate.